# tremble and obey

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To unthinkingly obey or pander to authorities, especially the Chinese government.
2. Phrase promulgating a decree of the Chinese imperial government or the early British colonial administration in Hong Kong.

## Etymology
Calque from Chinese 凜遵／凛遵 (lǐn zūn), a phrase historically used in Chinese imperial edicts.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tremble-and-obey