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争先恐后

zhēng xiān kǒng hòudictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) to compete to be first / to scramble to get ahead / to rush forward for fear of falling behind
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-d530da168817486f. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

爭先恐後 争先恐后 [zheng1 xian1 kong3 hou4] /(idiom) to compete to be first; to scramble to get ahead; to rush forward for fear of falling behind/

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.

Other forms in these source records: 爭先恐後

  • 争
    zhēng

    to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)

  • 先
    xiān

    beforehand / first / earlier / at first / originally / for the time being / for now / (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)

  • 恐
    kǒng

    afraid / frightened / to fear

  • 后
    hòu

    empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler / back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post-

    Hòu

    surname Hou

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.