同流合污

tóngliúhéwū

idiom #24,263

Meanings

1 to follow the corrupt crowd
2 to go along with evil
3 to wallow in the mire with others

Characters

together / same

to flow / current

to join / to combine

filth / corruption

Examples

他不愿与那些贪腐官员同流合污。

Tā bù yuàn yǔ nàxiē tānfǔ guānyuán tóngliúhéwū.

He refused to go along with those corrupt officials.

在那个年代，很多人被迫同流合污才能生存。

Zài nà gè niándài, hěn duō rén bèipò tóngliúhéwū cái néng shēngcún.

In that era, many people were forced to follow the corrupt masses just to survive.

Tips

usage

同流合污 is a strong condemnation, implying moral complicity. It goes beyond 'following the crowd' — it specifically means joining in corruption or wrongdoing. Often used in political/moral contexts.

Stroke Order

同 tóng

流 liú

合 hé

污 wū