# 东施效颦

dōng shī xiào pín

Imitate blindly and make things worse

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Dong Shi imitates a frown

**Traditional Chinese:** 東施效顰

**Register:** Critical · literary

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Use for copying a surface feature without understanding why it works.

The traditional story judges women’s appearance; modern use need not repeat that judgment.

## Behind the words

In a traditional story in Zhuangzi, a neighbor imitates Xi Shi’s expression but gets a very different response. The point is imitation without understanding.

The traditional tale makes imitation fail because the imitator copies an outward feature without understanding why it had its effect. Modern uses criticize copying style, behavior, or methods without adapting them to context. The historical beauty judgment need not be endorsed. The expression can be unkind when aimed at a person's appearance, so it is usually more constructive to discuss the unsuitable imitation itself.

## Examples

不理解设计的目的，只模仿外观，容易东施效颦。

### Traditional Chinese

不理解設計的目的，只模仿外觀，容易東施效顰。

bù lǐ jiě shè jì de mù dì ， zhī mó fǎng wài guān ， róng yì dōng shī xiào pín 。

Copying a design’s appearance without understanding its purpose can make the result worse.

这家小店照搬大公司的复杂流程，反而东施效颦。

### Traditional Chinese

這家小店照搬大公司的複雜流程，反而東施效顰。

zhè jiā xiǎo diàn zhào bān dà gōng sī de fù zá liú chéng ， fǎn ér dōng shī xiào pín 。

The small shop copied a large company's complicated processes and made things worse through blind imitation.

他硬学别人的说话方式，显得像东施效颦。

### Traditional Chinese

他硬學別人的說話方式，顯得像東施效顰。

tā yìng xué bié rén de shuō huà fāng shì ， xiǎn de xiàng dōng shī xiào pín 。

His forced imitation of someone else's manner of speaking looks awkward.

不考虑自己的条件就复制成功案例，往往东施效颦。

### Traditional Chinese

不考慮自己的條件就複製成功案例，往往東施效顰。

bù kǎo lǜ zì jǐ de tiáo jiàn jiù fù zhì chéng gōng àn lì ， wǎng wǎng dōng shī xiào pín 。

Copying a success story without considering one's own circumstances often backfires.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=176&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%9D%B1%E6%96%BD%E6%95%88%E9%A1%B0)

## Keep exploring

- [断章取义 duàn zhāng qǔ yì Quote selectively out of context ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/duan-zhang-qu-yi)

- [咄咄怪事 duō duō guài shì An astonishingly strange or unreasonable occurrence ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/duo-duo-guai-shi)

- [发人深省 fā rén shēn xǐng Prompt careful and substantial reflection ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/fa-ren-shen-xing)

- [非驴非马 fēi lǘ fēi mǎ Be an incoherent mixture of types ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/fei-lv-fei-ma)

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