千里之堤，溃于蚁穴

qiān lǐ zhī dī , kuì yú yǐ xué

Sign in to save this word to your study lists.

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. an ant hole may cause the collapse of a great dike (idiom)
  2. 2. fig. huge damage may result from a moment's negligence

Child Words of 千里之堤，溃于蚁穴

之
zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de])

千
qiān

thousand

堤
dī

dike

于
yú

(of time or place) in; at; on

里
lǐ

lining

千里
qiān lǐ

a thousand miles

溃
huì

Taiwan pr. [kuì]

溃
kuì

(bound form) (of floodwaters) to break through a dam or dike

穴
xué

cave

蚁
yǐ

ant