Chinese idiom · 成语
悬崖勒马
Meaning
To rein in at the cliff’s edge; to stop just in time.
Character by character
Origin and story
literary allusionAn early related expression occurs in Zheng Guangzu's Yuan play Zhiyong Ding Qi. Zhongli Chun has trapped the enemy commander Sun Cao, who pursued a feigned retreat into her formation. She mocks his failure to recognize danger, comparing belated caution to repairing a boat midstream and only reining in at a precipice. The wording there is 'rein in on reaching the cliff.' The familiar form later appears in Ji Yun's Yuewei Caotang Biji as praise for a scholar who recognizes danger and withdraws. The image thus became a warning to stop a harmful course before the consequences become irreversible.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
发现自己越赌越多，他决定悬崖勒马，删掉了所有赌博软件。
Realizing his gambling was escalating, he decided to stop before disaster and deleted all his gambling apps.
Urges someone to abandon a dangerous or wrongful course while there is still time.