望洋兴叹
wàng yáng xīng tàn
Pinyin

Definition

望洋兴叹
 - 
wàng yáng xīng tàn
  1. lit. to gaze at the ocean and lament one's inadequacy (idiom)
  2. fig. to feel powerless and incompetent (to perform a task)

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

希望
xī wàng
  1. 1 to wish for
  2. 2 to desire
  3. 3 hope
  4. 4 CL:個|个[gè]
仰望
yǎng wàng
  1. 1 to look up at
  2. 2 to look up to sb hopefully
凝望
níng wàng
  1. 1 to gaze at
  2. 2 to stare fixedly at
南洋
Nán yáng
  1. 1 Southeast Asia
  2. 2 South seas
喜气洋洋
xǐ qì yáng yáng
  1. 1 full of joy (idiom); jubilation
喜洋洋
xǐ yáng yáng
  1. 1 radiant with joy
大洋
dà yáng
  1. 1 ocean
  2. 2 (old) silver dollar
太平洋
Tài píng Yáng
  1. 1 Pacific Ocean
失望
shī wàng
  1. 1 disappointed
  2. 2 to lose hope
  3. 3 to despair
奢望
shē wàng
  1. 1 an extravagant hope
  2. 2 to have excessive expectations
展望
zhǎn wàng
  1. 1 outlook
  2. 2 prospect
  3. 3 to look ahead
  4. 4 to look forward to
欲望
yù wàng
  1. 1 desire
  2. 2 longing
  3. 3 appetite
  4. 4 craving
指望
zhǐ wàng
  1. 1 to hope for sth
  2. 2 to count on
  3. 3 hope
探望
tàn wàng
  1. 1 to visit
  2. 2 to call on sb
  3. 3 to look around
有望
yǒu wàng
  1. 1 hopeful
  2. 2 promising
望
wàng
  1. 1 full moon
  2. 2 to hope
  3. 3 to expect
  4. 4 to visit
  5. 5 to gaze (into the distance)
  6. 6 to look towards
  7. 7 towards
期望
qī wàng
  1. 1 to have expectations
  2. 2 to earnestly hope
  3. 3 expectation
  4. 4 hope
洋
yáng
  1. 1 ocean
  2. 2 vast
  3. 3 foreign
  4. 4 silver dollar or coin
洋气
yáng qì
  1. 1 Western style
  2. 2 foreign flavor
  3. 3 trendy
  4. 4 fashionable
洋溢
yáng yì
  1. 1 brimming with
  2. 2 steeped in

Idioms (20)

一望无垠
yī wàng wú yín
  1. 1 to stretch as far as the eye can see (idiom)
一望无际
yī wàng wú jì
  1. 1 as far as the eye can see (idiom)
一望而知
yī wàng ér zhī
  1. 1 to be evident at a glance (idiom)
不孚众望
bù fú zhòng wàng
  1. 1 not living up to expectations (idiom)
  2. 2 failing to inspire confidence among people
  3. 3 unpopular
不负众望
bù fù zhòng wàng
  1. 1 to live up to expectations (idiom)
倚栏望月
yǐ lán wàng yuè
  1. 1 to lean against the railings and look at the moon (idiom)
功高望重
gōng gāo wàng zhòng
  1. 1 high merit and worthy prospects (idiom)
可望而不可即
kě wàng ér bù kě jí
  1. 1 in sight but unattainable (idiom)
  2. 2 inaccessible
  3. 3 also written 可望而不可及[kě wàng ér bù kě jí]
可望而不可及
kě wàng ér bù kě jí
  1. 1 in sight but unattainable (idiom)
  2. 2 inaccessible
名门望族
míng mén wàng zú
  1. 1 offspring a famous family (idiom); good breeding
  2. 2 blue blood
喜出望外
xǐ chū wàng wài
  1. 1 to be pleased beyond one's expectations (idiom)
  2. 2 overjoyed at the turn of events
喜气洋洋
xǐ qì yáng yáng
  1. 1 full of joy (idiom); jubilation
土洋结合
tǔ yáng jié hé
  1. 1 combining native and foreign methods (idiom); sophisticated and many-sided
大喜过望
dà xǐ guò wàng
  1. 1 overjoyed at unexpected good news (idiom)
大旱望云霓
dà hàn wàng yún ní
  1. 1 lit. looking for rain clouds in times of drought (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. desperate for an escape from a difficult situation
守望相助
shǒu wàng xiāng zhù
  1. 1 to keep watch and defend one another (idiom, from Mencius); to join forces to defend against external aggressors
  2. 2 mutual help and protection
崇洋媚外
chóng yáng mèi wài
  1. 1 to revere everything foreign and pander to overseas powers (idiom); blind worship of foreign goods and ideas
巴高望上
bā gāo wàng shàng
  1. 1 to wish for higher status (idiom); to curry favor in the hope of promotion
望尘莫及
wàng chén mò jí
  1. 1 lit. to see only the other rider's dust and have no hope of catching up (idiom)
  2. 2 to be far inferior
望女成凤
wàng nu:3 chéng fèng
  1. 1 lit. to hope one's daughter becomes a phoenix (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to hope one's daughter is a success in life

Sample Sentences