踌躇满志

躊躇滿志
chóuchú-mǎnzhì
idiom #53,680

Meanings

  1. 1 smugly self-satisfied
  2. 2 enormously pleased with one's success
  3. 3 complacent after accomplishment

Examples

Gāng nádào dìyī gè dàxiàng mù, tā chóuchúmǎnzhì.
Having just landed his first big project, he was brimming with self-satisfaction.
Bìyè diǎnlǐ shàng, tóngxué men gègè chóuchúmǎnzhì.
At the graduation ceremony, every student was flush with ambition and pride.

Tips

history
From 《庄子·养生》: Cook Ding, after cleanly carving the ox, "踌躇满志" — stood with his knife, looked around, and was quietly proud. A rare classical passage celebrating craftsman's satisfaction.
mistakes
踌躇 on its own means "to hesitate." In this chengyu, though, it means "leisurely pleased," preserving its original Zhuangzi sense. Don't assume this idiom implies hesitation — it means the opposite, satisfaction.

Stroke Order

chóu
chú
mǎn
zhì