禮崩樂壞
简 礼崩乐坏 · 繁 禮崩樂壞Meanings
- rites and music are in ruins (idiom); fig. society in total disarray
- cf. 禮樂 lǐ yuè
Characters in this entry
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
3–1–4–4 · li3 beng1 yue4 huai4
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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.
禮崩樂壞 · find source passages ↗ · 礼崩乐坏 · find source passages ↗
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lai5 bang1 ngok6 waai6
Cantonese word readings for 禮崩樂壞. 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
- (literally) feudal system collapses and rites and music deteriorate
- (figuratively) social order collapses and morals deteriorate
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack