greedy and cruel person; rapacious brute
A classical Chinese-derived yojijukugo used to describe someone who is both greedy and cruel, like a wild boar or a long snake. Extremely rare in modern Japanese; mostly encountered in literary or historical contexts.
"Hōshi chōda" is a classical idiom that likens a greedy and cruel person to a large wild boar and a long snake.
Means 'greed' or 'avarice' in general, without the connotation of cruelty or the classical imagery of 封豕長蛇.
Means 'cruel' or 'brutal', but lacks the greedy aspect and the literary, metaphorical flavor of 封豕長蛇.
From Classical Chinese 封豕長蛇, “a great boar and a long serpent,” an image for rapacious and cruel people found in the 『春秋左氏伝』.