群雄逐鹿

qúnxióng-zhúlù
idiom #74,513

Meanings

  1. 1 many rivals contending for power
  2. 2 multiple contenders vying for supremacy

Examples

HSK 5
Zhìnéng shǒujī shìchǎng qúnxióngzhúlù.
The smartphone market is a scramble of rival contenders.
HSK 5
Sānguó shíqī, qúnxióngzhúlù Zhōngyuán.
In the Three Kingdoms era, rival warlords contended for the Central Plains.

Tips

culture
鹿 ('deer') stands for imperial power, a metaphor going back to 《史记》: 秦失其鹿,天下共逐之 ('the Qin lost their deer and all under heaven chased it'). Modern usage applies to markets, sports, politics.

Stroke Order

群 qún
雄 xióng
逐 zhú
鹿 lù