争先恐后

爭先恐後
zhēngxiānkǒnghòu
striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 争先 zhēngxiān
  1. to compete to be first
  2. to contest first place
2 恐 kǒng
  1. afraid
  2. frightened
  3. to fear
=3 后 hòu
  1. empress
  2. queen
  3. (archaic) monarch
  4. ruler
=3 后 hòu
  1. back
  2. behind
  3. rear
  4. afterwards
  5. after
  6. later
  7. post-