The New Dictionary.
Search dictionary
Chinese/Dictionary entry

偃旗息鼓

yǎn qí xī gǔdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
lit. lay down the flag and still the drums (idiom) / fig. to cease / to give in
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-276727f717453a2f. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

偃旗息鼓 偃旗息鼓 [yan3 qi2 xi1 gu3] /lit. lay down the flag and still the drums (idiom); fig. to cease/to give in/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 偃
    yǎn

    to lie supine / to stop / to fall down

    Yǎn

    surname Yan

  • 旗
    qí

    flag / banner / (in Qing times) Manchu (cf. 八旗[Bā qí]) / administrative subdivision in inner Mongolia equivalent to 縣|县[xiàn] county / CL:面[miàn]

  • 息
    xī

    (bound form) breath / (bound form) to cease / to stop / (bound form) to rest / (bound form) news / (bound form) interest (on money) / (bound form) to grow / to multiply / (literary) one's child / Taiwan pr. [xí]

  • 鼓
    gǔ

    drum / CL:通[tòng],面[miàn] / to drum / to strike / to rouse / to bulge / to swell

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.