DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

物極必反

简物极必反 · 繁物極必反

Mandarin · pinyin wù jí bì fǎn

when things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction (idiom)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

物: wù · thing, substance, creature
極: Look up this written character
必: bì · surely, most certainly; must
反: fǎn · reverse, opposite, contrary, anti
极: jí · extreme, utmost, furthest, final

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–2–4–3 · wu4 ji2 bi4 fan3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

物極必反 · find source passages ↗ · 物极必反 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

mat6 gik6 bit1 faan2

Cantonese word readings for 物極必反. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) A thing turns into its opposite if pushed too far; Once a certain limit is reached, a change in the opposite direction is inevitable.

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

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack