變本加厲 biàn běn jiā lì

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. change to more severe (idiom); to become more intense (esp. of shortcoming)
  2. to aggravate
  3. to intensify

CHARACTERS

變 biàn change, transform, alter; rebel
本 běn
HSK 1
root, origin, source; basis
加 jiā
HSK 3
add to, increase, augment
厲 lì whetstone; grind, sharpen; whet