small initial error leads to huge final mistake
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
a small discrepancy at the beginning leads to a huge error in the end; a miss is as good as a mile
formalOften used to emphasize the importance of accuracy and carefulness in the initial stages of any undertaking, especially in technical fields, navigation, or mathematics.
Háng航
tiān天
gōng工
chéng程
yāo要
qiú求
jí极
qí其
jīng精
què确
，
shī失
zhī之
háo毫
lí厘
，
miù谬
yǐ以
qiān千
lǐ里
。
Aerospace engineering demands extreme precision; a tiny initial error can lead to a massive final deviation.
Zuò做
shù数
xué学
zhèng证
míng明
shí时
，
yī一
kāi开
shǐ始
de的
jì计
suàn算
cuò错
wù误
huì会
dǎo导
zhì致
shī失
zhī之
háo毫
lí厘
，
miù谬
yǐ以
qiān千
lǐ里
。
When doing mathematical proofs, an initial calculation error can result in a completely wrong conclusion.
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Dǎo导
háng航
dìng定
wèi位
bì必
xū须
jīng精
zhǔn准
，
fǒu否
zé则
shī失
zhī之
háo毫
lí厘
，
miù谬
yǐ以
qiān千
lǐ里
。
Navigation and positioning must be precise; otherwise, a slight deviation at the start will cause a massive error at the end.