feed the horses and sharpen the weapons; prepare for battle
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to prepare thoroughly for battle; to make ready for war
literaryUsed literally for military preparation or figuratively for any situation requiring thorough, intense preparation for a major challenge or competition. '厉' (lì) is an ancient variant of '砺' (lì, meaning to sharpen). Often used in written or formal contexts.
Qiú球
duì队
wèi为
jué决
sài赛
mò秣
mǎ马
lì厉
bīng兵
le了
yī一
gè个
yuè月
。
The team prepared thoroughly for the final match for a month.
Zài在
dà大
kǎo考
qián前
xī夕
，
xué学
sheng生
men们
dōu都
zài在
mò秣
mǎ马
lì厉
bīng兵
。
On the eve of the big exam, the students were all making intensive preparations.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Jūn军
duì队
mò秣
mǎ马
lì厉
bīng兵
，
suí随
shí时
zhǔn准
bèi备
kāi开
fù赴
qián前
xiàn线
。
The army fed their horses and sharpened their weapons, ready to march to the front line at any moment.