养虎遗患

養虎遺患
yǎnghǔyíhuàn
  1. Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom); fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later
  2. to cherish a snake in one's bosom

CEDICT

to not eliminate bad people or the enemy and bring future trouble to oneself

Wiktionary

比喻不除去仇敌，将给自己留下后患。《五代史平话．唐史．卷下》：「若行这举，真是养虎遗患，非谋之善也。」也作「养虎留患」、「养虎贻患」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 养 yǎng
  1. to raise (animals)
  2. to bring up (children)
  3. to keep (pets)
  4. to support
  5. to give birth
2 虎 hǔ tiger

classifier: 隻
3 遗 yí (bound form) to leave behind
4 患 huàn
  1. to suffer (from illness)
  2. to contract (a disease)
  3. misfortune
  4. trouble
  5. danger
  6. worry

Related entries

养虎伤身 yǎnghǔshāngshēn
  1. Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom); fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later
  2. to cherish a snake in one's bosom