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搖尾乞憐

简摇尾乞怜 · 繁搖尾乞憐

Mandarin · pinyin yáo wěi qǐ lián

lit. to behave like a dog wagging its tail, seeking its master's affection (idiom)
fig. to fawn on sb
to bow and scrape
to grovel

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Characters in this entry

搖: yáo · wag, swing, wave; shake; scull
尾: wěi · tail, extremity; end, stern; 6th lunar mansion, determinative star μ¹ Scorpii (Xamidimura)
乞: qǐ · beg; request
憐: Look up this written character
摇: yáo · wag, swing, wave; shake; scull
怜: lián · pity, sympathize

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–3–2 · yao2 wei3 qi3 lian2

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jiu4 mei5 hat1 lin4

Cantonese word readings for 搖尾乞憐. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to fawn obsequiously

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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