have seen the vast ocean; worldly-wise; broad horizons
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
to have seen the vast ocean; to have broad horizons from having experienced great things; to be worldly-wise and hard to impress by ordinary things
literaryDerived from Yuan Zhen's Tang Dynasty poem 'Li Si' (离思): 'Once you have seen the vast ocean, it is hard to be content with ordinary waters; once you have seen the clouds of Wu Mountain, no other clouds will do.' (曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。) Often used to describe someone who has rich life experience and high standards.
He worked at a major international corporation in his early years, so he has truly seen the world; nowadays, he looks down on the management styles of small enterprises.
This elderly artist has seen it all—what grand occasion hasn't he witnessed? Why would he be moved by such a small honor?
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Don't show off your wealth in front of him; he is a worldly-wise person who simply doesn't care about such things.
After experiencing that international crisis, he has truly seen the world, facing current difficulties with calm composure.