JLPT N2Four-character idioms
油断大敵
- Meaning
- 気を緩めると大きな失敗を招くため注意すべきだということ
- Explanation
- 「油断大敵」 means that letting one's guard down (油断) is itself a great enemy to be feared, a warning that neglecting caution invites a big failure. It is used when admonishing complacency. c1, c3, and c4, which take 「油」 literally as the liquid oil, are all wrong.
Original Japanese explanation
「油断大敵」は、気を緩めること（油断）こそが恐るべき大きな敵だという意で、注意を怠ると大きな失敗を招くという戒めです。慢心を諌める場面で使います。「油」を字義どおりに油の液体と取ったc1・c3・c4はいずれも誤りです。
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