扬眉吐气

揚眉吐氣
yángméi-tǔqì
idiom #34,993

Meanings

  1. 1 to raise one's brow and let out one's breath
  2. 2 to feel proud and elated after long oppression
  3. 3 to hold one's head high at last

Examples

HSK 3
Jīngguò duō nián nǔlì, tā zhōngyú yángméitǔqì le.
After years of effort, he finally got to feel proud and elated.
HSK 6
Zhōngguó Duì duódé jīnpái, ràng quánguó rénmín yángméitǔqì.
The Chinese team's gold medal made the whole nation hold its head high.

Tips

history
From Li Bai's letter 《与韩荆州书》: 何惜阶前盈尺之地,不使白扬眉吐气,激昂青云耶 - Li Bai pleading for a chance to raise his brow and rise on the clouds of glory.

Stroke Order

扬 yáng
眉 méi
吐 tǔ
气 qì