趋炎附势

趨炎附勢
qūyánfùshì
  1. to curry favor (idiom); playing up to those in power
  2. social climbing

CEDICT

to ingratiate oneself with powerful or influential people

Wiktionary

炎，指有权势的人。趋炎附势比喻依附权势。《朱子语类．卷八十三．春秋．纲领》：「尝谓左氏是个猾头熟事，趋炎附势之人。」《三侠五义．第六十二回》：「观内当家的叫做吴道成，生的黑面大腹，自称绰号铁罗汉，一身好武艺，惯会趋炎附势。」也作「趋权附势」、「趋炎奉势」、「趋炎附热」。

重編國語辭典

奉承依附有权势的人

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 趋 qū
  1. to hasten
  2. to hurry
  3. to walk fast
  4. to approach
  5. to tend towards
  6. to converge
2 炎 yán
  1. flame
  2. inflammation
  3. -itis
=3 附 fù variant of 附 fù
=3 附 fù
  1. to add; to attach
  2. to be close to; to be attached
4 势 shì
  1. power
  2. influence
  3. potential
  4. momentum
  5. tendency
  6. trend
  7. situation
  8. conditions
  9. outward appearance
  10. sign
  11. gesture
  12. male genitals

Related entries

高攀 gāopān
  1. social climbing
  2. to claim connections with people in higher social class
夤缘攀附 yínyuánpānfù
  1. to cling to the rich and powerful (idiom); to advance one's career by currying favor
  2. social climbing
攀高结贵 pāngāojiéguì
  1. lit. to cling to the high, connect to the rich (idiom); to try to attach oneself to the rich and powerful
  2. social climbing
攀附 pānfù
  1. to climb (of climbing plants)
  2. to creep
  3. to cling on to
  4. fig. to seek connection (with the rich and powerful)
  5. social climbing