权欲熏心

權慾薰心

quányùxūnxīn

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

power / authority

smoke / fumigate

Examples

他权欲熏心，不惜出卖朋友。

Tā quányùxūnxīn, bùxī chūmài péngyǒu.

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

权欲熏心的人最终都会自食恶果。

Quányùxūnxīn de rén zuìzhōng dōu huì zì shí 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