顶礼膜拜

頂禮膜拜
dǐnglǐ-móbài
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to prostrate oneself in worship
  2. 2 to worship slavishly; to idolize

Examples

HSK 6
Xìntú men duì fóxiàng dǐnglǐ-móbài.
The believers prostrated themselves before the Buddha statue.
HSK 7-9
Fěnsī men duì zhè wèi míngxīng dǐnglǐ-móbài.
Fans worship this celebrity like a god.
HSK 7-9
Wǒmen bù gāi duì quánwēi dǐnglǐ-móbài, ér yīng dúlì sīkǎo.
We shouldn't blindly worship authority; we should think independently.

Tips

history
Recorded in the Qing novel 《荡寇志》. Both halves come from Buddhist ritual terms: 顶礼 = bowing with the forehead touching the ground, 膜拜 = kneeling with palms raised. Originally literal temple worship; now mostly figurative and often sarcastic.
usage
Modern use is usually disapproving - 'blind idolatry.' Pattern: 对…顶礼膜拜 ('worship [X] slavishly'). Literal religious use is still possible but less common in everyday speech.

Stroke Order

dǐng
bài