权欲熏心

權慾薰心

quányù-xūnxīn

idiom

Meanings

1 obsessed by a craving for power
2 power-hungry
3 blinded by lust for power

Characters

power / authority

smoke / fumigate

Examples

HSK 7-9

他权欲熏心，不惜出卖朋友。

Tā quányù-xūnxīn, bùxī chūmài péngyou.

Blinded by lust for power, he didn't hesitate to betray his friends.

HSK 7-9

权欲熏心的人最终都会自食恶果。

Quányù-xūnxīn de rén zuìzhōng dōu huì zìshí'èguǒ.

Power-hungry people ultimately reap what they sow.

Tips

memory

Modeled on the older 利欲熏心 ('blinded by greed') - swap 利 (profit) for 权 (power). 熏心 literally means 'smoked the heart': desire fumigates rational thought until nothing else gets through.

Stroke Order

权 quán

欲 yù

熏 xūn

心 xīn