饮鸩止渴 yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. drinking poison in the hope of quenching one's thirst (idiom)
  2. fig. a supposed remedy that only makes matters worse

CHARACTERS

饮 yǐn
HSK 3
drink; swallow; kind of drink
鸩 zhèn a bird resembling the secretary falcon
止 zhǐ
HSK 4
stop, halt, desist; detain
渴 kě
HSK 3
thirsty, parched; yearn, pine