noun
neglecting duties while drawing pay; holding a sinecure
A rare, literary yojijukugo describing a person who holds an official position but does no real work while still receiving a salary. It carries a strong negative connotation of idleness and corruption.
「尸位素餐」は、地位にふさわしい働きをせず、ただ給料をもらうことを批判する四字熟語だ。
尸位素餐 is a four-character idiom that criticizes someone who holds a position but does no work worthy of it, merely drawing a salary.
A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, from the classical text 'Book of Han' (漢書). The literal meaning is 'to occupy a position like a corpse and eat without working,' metaphorically describing a useless official.