At the graduation ceremony, every student was flush with ambition and pride.
Tips
history
From 《庄子·养生主》: Cook Ding, after cleanly carving the ox, "提刀而立，为之四顾，为之踌躇满志" — stood with his knife, looked around, and was quietly proud. A rare classical passage celebrating craftsman's satisfaction.
mistakes
踌躇 on its own means "to hesitate." In this chengyu, though, it means "leisurely pleased," preserving its original Zhuangzi sense. Don't assume this idiom implies hesitation — it means the opposite, satisfaction.
