# 义愤填膺

yì fèn tián yīng

Be filled with righteous indignation

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Righteous anger fills the chest

**Traditional Chinese:** 義憤填膺

**Register:** Standard · expressive

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

## When to use it

Describe strong indignation over a genuinely unfair action.

Outrage should still be grounded in verified facts.

## Understanding the expression

The chest seems filled by anger directed at something morally wrong. The expression describes indignation over injustice or unfair treatment rather than annoyance at a personal inconvenience. Its tone often supports the angry person’s moral concern. Yet feeling righteous does not prove every accusation is correct. Verification and proportionate action remain important. The strongest examples show both the unfair conduct and why it understandably moves people to demand a fair response.

## Examples

看到比赛评分不公，她义愤填膺。

### Traditional Chinese

看到比賽評分不公，她義憤填膺。

kàn dào bǐ sài píng fēn bù gōng ， tā yì fèn tián yīng 。

The unfair competition scores filled her with righteous indignation.

作品被错误地归给别人，作者义愤填膺。

### Traditional Chinese

作品被錯誤地歸給別人，作者義憤填膺。

zuò pǐn bèi cuò wù dì guī gěi bié rén ， zuò zhě yì fèn tián yīng 。

The creator was indignant when the work was wrongly credited to someone else.

看到有人无端取消同学的参赛资格，他义愤填膺。

### Traditional Chinese

看到有人無端取消同學的參賽資格，他義憤填膺。

kàn dào yǒu rén wú duān qǔ xiāo tóng xué de cān sài zī gé ， tā yì fèn tián yīng 。

He was indignant when a classmate was excluded from the competition without reason.

她义愤填膺地要求按相同标准评选。

### Traditional Chinese

她義憤填膺地要求按相同標準評選。

tā yì fèn tián yīng dì yāo qiú àn xiāng tóng biāo zhǔn píng xuǎn 。

She indignantly called for judging by the same standards.

## 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=%E7%BE%A9%E6%86%A4%E5%A1%AB%E8%86%BA)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=953&webMd=1&la=0)

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