治丝益棼

MEANING

1. 壹动verb

   lit. try to straighten out silk threads only to tangle them further (idiom)

   • zhìsīyìfén,yuèlǐyuèluàn.

     治丝益棼，越理越乱。🔊

     The more one tries to untangle the thread, the more tangled it becomes; the more one tries to straighten it out, the more chaotic it gets.

2. 貳动verb

   fig. to try to help but end up making things worse

   • nǐzhèyàngzhìsīyìfén,zhǐhuìràngshìqínggèngzāo.

     你这样治丝益棼，只会让事情更糟。🔊

     You're only making things worse by handling it this way, and will only make matters more complicated.