Chinese idiom · 成语
东施效颦
Meaning
To blindly copy others, often poorly; unsuitable imitation.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical fableThe Tianyun (天運) chapter of Zhuangzi (莊子) tells how the celebrated beauty Xi Shi frowns when pain troubles her chest. A woman from the same neighborhood admires the expression and imitates it, clutching her own chest and frowning. The narrator describes this woman as unattractive and exaggerates the neighbors’ reaction: some shut their doors, while others take their families away.
The imitator is unnamed in this passage; Dong Shi is a later name paired with Xi Shi. In the surrounding discussion, the anecdote illustrates why copying forms without understanding their basis or adapting to changed circumstances can fail. Its modern lesson concerns unsuitable imitation, not a standard for judging people’s appearance.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
我们的小店照搬大品牌的广告语，听起来很别扭，反而成了东施效颦。
Our little shop copied a major brand’s slogans, but they sounded awkward—an imitation that backfired.
A sharp criticism of an ill-fitting imitation. Avoid directing it at someone’s appearance.