Chinese idiom · 成语
以卵击石
Meaning
To strike a stone with an egg; to attempt the impossible.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical analogyMozi (墨子), Gui Yi (貴義), uses the related wording 以卵投石 to defend the strength of his teaching. Trying to overturn it with opposing claims is compared to throwing eggs at a stone: even using every egg would leave the stone intact. Xunzi (荀子), Yi Bing (議兵), similarly uses the image when contrasting an unjust force with a humane one.
The expression is an analogy of an overwhelming mismatch. The variant 以卵击石 appears in later fiction, including Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It criticizes an attack that cannot realistically damage its stronger target and may destroy the attacker instead.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
没有证据就去挑战完整的调查结果，无异于以卵击石。
Challenging a complete investigation without evidence is an argument hopelessly outmatched.
Emphasizes unequal strength in confrontation, not every difficult ambition.