雷霆万钧

雷霆萬鈞
léitíng-wànjūn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 with the force of a thunderbolt
  2. 2 irresistible; overwhelming

Examples

HSK 7-9
Jūnduì yǐ léitíng-wànjūn zhī shì gōngxià le chéngshì.
The army took the city with the force of a thunderbolt.
HSK 7-9
Jǐngfāng yǐ léitíng-wànjūn de xíngdòng dǎdiào le zhège fànzuì tuánhuǒ.
The police smashed the criminal gang in an overwhelming operation.

Tips

usage
Usually 以雷霆万钧之势 "with irresistible force", for armies, storms, crackdowns or great changes. 钧 was an ancient weight of thirty 斤, so 万钧 is a crushing load. The image goes back to the Han writer Jia Shan: nothing struck by thunder stays standing, and nothing under ten thousand jun stays whole.

Stroke Order

雷 léi
霆 tíng
万 wàn
钧 jūn