开弓不放箭

開弓不放箭
kāigōngbùfàngjiàn
  1. lit. to draw the bow without shooting the arrow (idiom)
  2. fig. to bluff
  3. to be all talk and no action
  4. false bravado

CEDICT

虚张声势。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 开弓 kāigōng to draw a bow; to pull back a bowstring
2 不 bù
  1. no; not so
  2. (bound form) not; un-
3 放箭 fàngjiàn to shoot an arrow; to let loose an arrow

Related entries

只说不做 zhǐshuōbùzuò to be all talk and no action
放空炮 fàngkōngpào
  1. (lit.) to fire blank shots
  2. (fig.) to be all talk and no action
  3. to shoot one's mouth off
  4. to make empty promises
有色无胆 yǒusèwúdǎn
  1. to be perverse and suggestive towards the opposite sex, but shrinking back when provoked to act on it
  2. to have perverted thoughts but no guts to actually do it
  3. to be all talk and no action