chā
zhī
háo
,
miù
qiān

idiom

Meaning of 差之毫厘,谬以千里

差之毫厘,谬以千里 means a minute discrepancy leads to a gigantic error; be off by a hair's breadth and miss by a thousand miles. Pronounced chā zhī háo lí , miù yǐ qiān lǐ.

  • a minute discrepancy leads to a gigantic error; be off by a hair's breadth and miss by a thousand miles

Definitions & Examples

Zhè
huǒ
jiàn
shè
de
suàn
jīng
què
 
chā
zhī
háo
 
miù
qiān
 

The calculations for this rocket launch must be precise; a tiny error could lead to a huge mistake.

wén
jiàn
de
cuò
yán
jǐn
 
fǒu
chā
zhī
háo
 
miù
qiān
 
néng
yǐn
yán
zhòng
de
sòng
 

The wording of legal documents must be rigorous; otherwise, a slight discrepancy can lead to a massive error and potentially serious litigation.

Dǎo
háng
tǒng
de
miǎo
chā
 
duì
cháng
fēi
xíng
lái
shuō
jiù
shì
chā
zhī
háo
 
miù
qiān
 

A one-second error in the navigation system, for a long-distance flight, means being off by a hair's breadth and missing by a thousand miles.