Chinese idiom · 成语
同仇敌忾
Meaning
Shared hatred, united fury; collective resolve against a foe.
Character by character
Origin and story
combined classical expressionThis expression joins language from two ancient texts. In the Book of Songs poem Wu Yi, soldiers speak of sharing clothing, preparing weapons, and facing the same enemy together. The second part draws on Zuozhuan's account of Ning Wuzi visiting Lu in Duke Wen's fourth year. Asked why he did not respond to certain ceremonial songs, he explains that they belonged to royal occasions rewarding lords who opposed the king's enemies. The complete idiom combines the soldiers' solidarity with this language of resisting an enemy. It means collective opposition to a common foe, rather than hatred arising independently in several people.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
得知几位老人遭到同样的诈骗，邻居们同仇敌忾，主动提供线索。
When they learned that several elderly residents had suffered the same scam, the neighbors united in anger and volunteered information.
Strong language for shared indignation directed at a common wrongdoer.