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趾高氣揚

简趾高气扬 · 繁趾高氣揚

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ gāo qì yáng

high and mighty (idiom); arrogant

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Characters in this entry

趾: zhǐ · toe; tracks, footprints
高: gāo · high, tall; lofty, elevated; Kangxi radical 189
氣: qì · air, gas, steam, vapor; spirit
揚: Look up this written character
气: qì · steam, vapor; Kangxi radical 84
扬: yáng · scatter, spread; praise

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

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Mandarin tones

3–1–4–2 · zhi3 gao1 qi4 yang2

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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.

趾高氣揚 · find source passages ↗ · 趾高气扬 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi2 gou1 hei3 joeng4

Cantonese word readings for 趾高氣揚. 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

(derogatory) to be on one's high horse; to be very self-righteous; to be arrogant

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

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