美其名曰

měiqí-míngyuē
idiom #48,570

Meanings

  1. 1 to call (something unpleasant) by a fine-sounding name
  2. 2 to dignify with the name of...
  3. 3 euphemistically termed

Examples

Tā zhěngtiān bù gōngzuò, měiqímíngyuē " zìyóuzhíyèzhě ".
He doesn't work all day and dignifies it with the name "freelancer."
Bǎ tuōyán měiqímíngyuē " shēnsīshúlǜ ", shízài kěxiào.
Calling procrastination "careful deliberation" is honestly laughable.

Tips

usage
Almost always sarcastic or critical — used when a speaker puts a flattering label on something really bad, lazy, or selfish. Followed by the grand name in quotes or after .
grammar
Literally "beautify + its + name + saying." The structure +N+ is classical; (yuē) means "to call" or "named." Frequently punctuated with quotation marks around the fancy label.

Stroke Order

měi
míng
yuē