得意扬扬

• Pinyin: dé yì yáng yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 得 = to obtain; 意 = 心 + 音 (intention/feeling); 扬 = 扌 + 昜 (to raise/display) ×2

Meaning

Elated and triumphant; complacently pleased with oneself. Describes an exaggerated, often ostentatious display of pride or self-satisfaction after a success.

A four-character idiom with a mildly critical connotation — implying excessive or unbecoming pride. Often used to describe someone who flaunts their achievement, which in Chinese culture can be viewed as lacking humility.

Examples

1. 他通过考试后得意扬扬地向同学们炫耀成绩单。 After passing the exam, he smugly showed off his report card to his classmates.
2. 获奖后她没有得意扬扬，而是低调地感谢了整个团队。 After winning the award, she didn’t act smug; she quietly thanked the whole team.
3. 对手在赢得首局后得意扬扬，却在随后几局中连连失误。 After winning the first round, the opponent was riding high, but then made mistake after mistake in the following rounds.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, narrative, social commentary

Tone: mildly critical

Do Say

• 他刚晋升便得意扬扬，令同事们颇为不满。(He was insufferably smug right after his promotion, which annoyed his colleagues.)
• 竞争对手得意扬扬地宣布占领了市场份额，却不知危机已悄然逼近。(The rival boasted triumphantly about capturing market share, unaware that a crisis was quietly approaching.)

Don't Say

• 他很得意扬扬 — redundant intensification; 得意扬扬 is already an intensified form; use 他得意扬扬的 as a modifier or 他显得得意扬扬

Origin & History

得意 (pleased with oneself) + 扬扬 (flaunting/high-spirited — reduplication for intensity)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical origins

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal