玩物丧志

玩物喪志

wánwùsàngzhì

idiom #36,898

Meanings

1 to lose one's ambition through frivolous pursuits
2 to be so absorbed in trifles that one's higher purpose is sapped

Characters

Examples

整天打游戏，小心玩物丧志。

Zhěngtiān dǎ yóuxì, xiǎoxīn wánwùsàngzhì.

Playing games all day — be careful you don't lose your drive to trivia.

父母担心他玩物丧志，荒废了学业。

Fùmǔ dānxīn tā wánwùsàngzhì, huāngfèi le xuéyè.

His parents worry that he is squandering his ambition on hobbies and neglecting his studies.

Tips

history

From the Book of Documents 《尚书·旅獒》: 玩人丧德, 玩物丧志 ('toying with people destroys virtue; toying with things destroys ambition'). The phrase was originally a warning to a Zhou king against being distracted by exotic tribute animals.

Stroke Order

玩 wán

物 wù

丧 sāng

志 zhì