Bullying others by borrowing the power of a stronger force.
📜 Origin
《战国策》
💡 Detailed Explanation
"Borrowing the Tiger's Terror" comes from the Strategies of the Warring States, Chapter One of the Strategies of Chu. It tells the story of a fox that borrows the tiger's might to scare away all the beasts. The literal meaning of the idiom is that a fox borrows the tiger's prestige, while its deeper meaning is a metaphor for relying on someone else's power and influence to bully or intimidate others. It is often used to describe people who have no real ability of their own but rely on powerful backers to throw their weight around and lord it over others. It is mostly used in a derogatory sense, criticizing the phenomenon of bullying others by borrowing power, such as oppressing colleagues in the workplace by leaning on a leader's authority, or acting tyrannically in daily life by relying on family influence. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the ancient insight into the abuse of power and human weakness, warning people to distinguish truth from falsehood and not to be misled by superficial displays of power. In emotional coloring, it carries a clear sense of sarcasm and criticism, expressing contempt for and condemnation of such behavior.
📝 Example
He is just borrowing the tiger's might—using the manager's name to order his subordinates around. (狐假虎威: a metaphor for using others' power to bully people.)
Those local thugs, like a fox borrowing the tiger's might, run amok in the village under the protection of their backers. (狐假虎威: a metaphor for relying on others' power and influence to bully people.)