# 食言而肥

shí yán ér féi

Break a promise

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Grow fat by eating one's words

**Register:** Critical · literary

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Criticize someone who repeatedly fails to honor commitments.

More accusatory than explaining an unavoidable change of plan.

## Understanding the expression

Eating one's words makes a withdrawn promise seem like something consumed rather than fulfilled. The added image of growing fat sharpens the criticism: the speaker benefits or escapes while others rely on empty commitments. In modern writing it often condemns unreliable agreements or repeated broken promises. It does not explain why a promise failed. If circumstances genuinely changed, describe that reason instead of automatically assigning this blame.

## Examples

他答应退款却一再拖延，明显食言而肥。

### Traditional Chinese

他答應退款卻一再拖延，明顯食言而肥。

tā dā ying tuì kuǎn què yí zài tuō yán ， míng xiǎn shí yán ér féi 。

He promised a refund but keeps delaying it, clearly breaking his word.

公司不能靠食言而肥来压低成本。

### Traditional Chinese

公司不能靠食言而肥來壓低成本。

gōng sī bù néng kào shí yán ér féi lái yā dī chéng běn 。

The company cannot cut costs by breaking its promises.

她要求对方按约付款，不要食言而肥。

### Traditional Chinese

她要求對方按約付款，不要食言而肥。

tā yāo qiú duì fāng àn yuē fù kuǎn ， bú yào shí yán ér féi 。

She asked the other party to pay as agreed rather than break its word.

竞选时承诺修路，胜选后却食言而肥。

### Traditional Chinese

競選時承諾修路，勝選後卻食言而肥。

jìng xuǎn shí chéng nuò xiū lù ， shèng xuǎn hòu què shí yán ér féi 。

They promised road repairs during the campaign but broke the promise after winning.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E9%A3%9F%E8%A8%80%E8%80%8C%E8%82%A5)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=391&webMd=1&la=0)

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