Chinese idiom · 成语
穷兵黩武
Meaning
Exhaust troops in reckless war; overuse of military force.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical political argumentThe exact expression appears in the Sanguozhi account of Lu Kang, under the biography of his father Lu Xun. Lu Kang warns that allowing generals to pursue reputations through relentless warfare consumes enormous resources and leaves soldiers exhausted: the enemy has not weakened, yet one's own state is already gravely depleted.
The components also have earlier textual parallels. Sun Bin's military text warns against exhausting military resources, while the Hou Hanshu describes Liu Yu's alarm at Gongsun Zan's persistent fighting. Together they convey reckless reliance on warfare. The phrase condemns wasteful belligerence, not military preparedness or every use of force.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这本历史书分析了统治者穷兵黩武给百姓带来的灾难。
This history book analyzes the suffering that rulers' reckless warfare brought to ordinary people.
Condemns excessive or aggressive warmaking; a strong evaluative term.