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横行跋扈 (おうこうばっこ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
rampant ; running wild ; roaming at will
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
Describes evildoers, criminals, or undesirable elements acting freely and oppressively, often with a sense of unchecked power. Used as a noun or with する.
不ふ 正せい が 横おう 行こう 跋ばっ 扈こ する 社しゃ 会かい は 健けん 全ぜん と は 言い え ない 。
A society where corruption runs wild cannot be called healthy.
Kanji 横 sideways, side, horizontal 行 going, journey, carry out Similar words 横おう 行こう 横行 means 'spreading widely' or 'being rampant' and is more common and neutral. 横行跋扈 is a stronger, more literary yojijukugo emphasizing evildoers roaming freely.
跋ばっ 扈こ 跋扈 alone also means 'rampancy' or 'domination', but is less common and often used in compounds. 横行跋扈 combines both elements for emphasis.
Etymology A yojijukugo combining 横行 (going sideways, acting arbitrarily) and 跋扈 (dominating, swaggering). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is conventionally associated with the idea of evildoers roaming freely.
