The New Dictionary.
Search dictionary
Chinese/Dictionary entry

阳奉阴违

yáng fèng yīn wéidictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
outward devotion but inner opposition (idiom) / to pay lip service / to agree overtly, but oppose in secret
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-fa1ddb8d3dd0114e. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

陽奉陰違 阳奉阴违 [yang2 feng4 yin1 wei2] /outward devotion but inner opposition (idiom); to pay lip service/to agree overtly, but oppose in secret/

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: 陽奉陰違

  • 阳
    yáng

    positive (electric.) / sun / male principle (Taoism) / Yang, opposite: 陰|阴[yīn]

  • 奉
    fèng

    to offer (tribute) / to present respectfully (to superior, ancestor, deity etc) / to esteem / to revere / to believe in (a religion) / to wait upon / to accept orders (from superior)

  • 阴
    yīn

    overcast (weather) / cloudy / shady / Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang) / negative (electric.) / feminine / moon / implicit / hidden / genitalia

    Yīn

    surname Yin

  • 违
    wéi

    (bound form) to violate / to go against / (bound form) to be away from

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.