八方美人

はっぽうびじん

Meanings

1. Noun everybody's friend; people pleaser; person who is affable to everybody; flunky (oft. used derogatively)
2. flawlessly beautiful woman; flawless beauty

Kanji

• 八 eight. Read as ハチ.
• 方 direction. Read as ホウ.
• 美 beauty
• 人 person. Read as ジン.

Example sentences

• 誰彼かまわず良い顔ばかりしていると、そのうち八方美人としか思われなくなるよ。
  If you buddy up to everybody and anybody, pretty soon people will think you're just a people-pleaser.
• 八方美人頼むに足らず。
  A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.
• 彼は八方美人だ。
  He's everybody's friend.
• 八方美人に友はなし。
  A friend to all is a friend to none.

Word lists

• Yojijukugo (四字熟語)

Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists