想吃梅子；流出口水；就不渴了。比喻愿望无法实现；用空想安慰自己。
南朝 宋 刘义庆《世说新语 假谲》：“魏武行役失汲道，军皆渴，乃令曰：‘前有大梅林，饶子，甘酸可以解渴。’士卒闻之，口皆出水，乘此得及前源。”
①《成语辞海》 ②《汉语成语源流大词典》 ③《汉语成语大辞典》 ④《中国成语大辞典》 ⑤《商务成语大词典》 ⑥《远流活用成语辞典》
连动式；作谓语、宾语、定语；含贬义
鸾拆书看了，虽然不曾定个来期，也当画饼充饥，望梅止渴。（明 冯梦龙《警世通言》卷三十四）
有一年夏天，曹操率领部队去讨伐张绣，天气热得出奇，骄阳似火，天上一丝云彩也没有，部队在弯弯曲曲的山道上行走，两边密密的树木和被阳光晒得滚烫的山石，让人透不过气来。到了中午时分，士兵的衣服都湿透了，行军的速度也慢下来，有几个体弱的士兵竟晕倒在路边。
曹操看行军的速度越来越慢，担心贻误战机，心里很是着急。可是，眼下几万人马连水都喝不上，又怎么能加快速度呢？他立刻叫来向导，悄悄问他：“这附近可有水源？”向导摇摇头说：“泉水在山谷的那一边，要绕道过去还有很远的路程。”曹操想了一下说，“不行，时间来不及。”他看了看前边的树林，沉思了一会儿，对向导说：“你什么也别说，我来想办法。”他知道此刻即使下命令要求部队加快速度也无济于事。脑筋一转，办法来了，他一夹马肚子，快速赶到队伍前面，用马鞭指着前方说：“士兵们，我知道前面有一大片梅林，那里的梅子又大又好吃，我们快点赶路，绕过这个山丘就到梅林了！”士兵们一听，仿佛已经吃到嘴里，精神大振，步伐不由得加快了许多。
故事出自《世说新语·假谲》。成语“望梅止渴”，比喻用空想安慰自己或他人。
quenching thirst by watching plums
cao cao of the three kingdoms period ( 0- 65) was not only a capable politician in managing state affairs, but also a strategist good at leading troops in going to war.
one summer, cao cao was leading his troops in a punitive expedition against zhang xiu. it was extraordinarily hot. the burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. the soldiers were walking on the winding mountain paths. the dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. by noontime the soldiers clothes were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. some solders of weak physique even fainted on the roadside.
seeing that the marching speed was slower and slower, cao cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the chance of winning the battle. but how could they quicken their speed? cao cao at once callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby. the guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. cao cao realized that time didnt permit them to make such a detour. after thinking for a moment, he said to the guide, "keep quiet. ill find a way out." he knew that it would be to no avail to order his troops to quicken the steps. he had a brain wave and found a good solution. he spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. pointing his horsewhip to the front, cao cao said, "soldiers, i know there is a big forest of plums ahead. the plums there are both big and delicious. lets hurry along, and we will reach the forest of plums after bypassing this hill." when the solders heard this, they immediately slobbered. picturing in their minds the sweet and sour flavour of the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums themselves. the morale greatly boosted, the soldiers quickened their steps a great deal automatically.
this story comes from "the fake tangery" in anecdotes of this world by liu yiqing of the southern dynasties period (4 0-589). from this story, people have derived the set phrase "quenching thirst by watching plums" to refer to trying to comfort oneself of others by idle dreams.
东汉末年，曹操带领着大军要去讨伐张绣，走到半路，因为天气十分炎热，又找不到水源，身上揹着沉重行囊的士兵个个都又渴又累。此时足智多谋的曹操，心生一计，就对士兵们说：“弟兄们，前面不远的地方有一大片的梅林，结满了又酸又甜的果实，可以生津解渴。”士兵们听到之后，每个人脑中都想起梅子那酸中带着甘甜的味道，嘴里不由自主的生出津液，精神为之一振，不再感到口渴。曹操借此终于找到水源，解除部队没水喝的窘境。后来这个故事被浓缩成“望梅止渴”，用来比喻以空想来安慰自己。
比喻虚望而不能实得
官人今日眼见一文也无,提甚三五两银子,正是教俺“望梅止渴,画饼充饥。”——《水浒传》
曹操率兵行军至途中，士兵干渴难耐，曹操就骗士兵前有梅林，梅子又酸又甜，诱使士兵流出口水以解渴的故事。典出南朝宋．刘义庆《世说新语．假谲》。后比喻用空想来安慰自己。《警世通言．卷三四．王娇鸾百年长恨》：“鸾拆书看了，虽然不曾定个来期，也当画饼充饥，望梅止渴。”《初刻拍案惊奇．卷一五》：“却那里得这银子来！只好望梅止渴，画饼充饥。”也作“说梅止渴”、“望梅消渴”。近割肉医疮,画饼充饥
德语 sich falschen Hoffnungen hingeben (Sprichw)
望梅 : 1.词牌名。即《解连坏》﹐双调﹐一百零六字﹐仄韵。此调创自柳永﹐以词有"信有早梅﹐偏占阳和﹐及时送香来﹐望明艳遥知非雪"句﹐故名"望梅"。后因周邦彦词有"好手能解连环"句﹐更名"解连环"。参阅《词谱》卷三四。2.犹言望梅止渴。
止渴 : 1.解渴。
望梅止渴是一个成语，原意是梅子酸，当说到梅子的时候，就会想到梅子酸而产生流涎，因而止渴。后比喻愿望无法实现，用空想安慰自己。
曹操编造前方梅林结了很多果实，诱使士兵流出口水以解渴的故事。典出南朝宋．刘义庆《世说新语．假谲》。后用“望梅止渴”比喻以空想来安慰自己。
“画饼充饥”
渴，不能写作“喝”。
“望梅止渴”和“画饼充饥”；都比喻用空想来安慰自己；常可通用。但“望梅止渴”表示空等、空想；没有实际行动；而“画饼充饥”往往有聊以替代的画饼的行为。
魏武：魏武帝曹操（西元１５５∼２２０），字孟德，小字阿瞒，东汉沛国谯人。雄才大略，多权诈，能作诗文。起兵追击黄巾贼，讨伐董卓，渐次剪削诸雄，自封为丞相，官拜大将军，爵号魏公，后死于洛阳。子曹丕篡汉，追谥武帝，庙号太祖。
行役：行军。
失汲道：迷失取水之路，指找不到水源取水。
梅：性耐寒，叶卵形，早春开花，花瓣五片，色红或白。果实味酸，可食。
饶子：多子，指梅树上结了很多果实。
宋．沈括《梦溪笔谈．卷二三．讥谑》：“吴人多谓梅子为『曹公』，以其尝望梅止渴也。”
《水浒传》第五一回：“官人今日见一文也无，提甚三五两银子，正是教俺望梅止渴，画饼充饥。”
《初刻拍案惊奇》卷一五：“却那里得这银子来！只好望梅止渴，画饼充饥。”
《喻世明言．卷一七．单符郎全州佳偶》：“离索之感，人孰无之？此间歌妓杨玉，颇饶雅致，且作望梅止渴何如？”
明．汤显祖《还魂记》第二六出：“小生待画饼充饥，小姐似望梅止渴。”
《警世通言．卷三四．王娇鸾百年长恨》：“鸾拆书看了，虽然不曾定个来期，也当画饼充饥，望梅止渴。”
《镜花缘》第九三回：“姐姐说我日后飞升，谈何容易！这才叫作『望梅止渴』哩！”
望梅消渴
wàng méi xiāo kě
犹“望梅止渴”。见“望梅止渴”条。宋．赵长卿〈好事近．齿颊带余香〉词：“玉鱼花露自清凉，涓涓在郎腹。犹胜望梅消渴，对文君眉蹙。”
梅林止渴
méi lín zhǐ kě
犹“望梅止渴”。见“望梅止渴”条。北周．庾信〈出自蓟北门行〉：“梅林能止渴，复姓可防兵。”
止渴之梅
zhǐ kě zhī méi
比喻不无小补。见“望梅止渴”条。清．叶德辉《书林清话．卷七．明毛晋刻六十家词以后继刻者》：“邵注四库简明目亦未及见。然其词今皆为王张二刻所有，亦足为止渴之梅矣。”
止渴思梅
zhǐ kě sī méi
犹“望梅止渴”。见“望梅止渴”条。元．关汉卿《调风月》第三折：“到三更四更，便似止渴思梅，充饥画饼。”
止渴望梅
zhǐ kě wàng méi
义参“望梅止渴”。见“望梅止渴”条。宋．舒邦佐〈和于湖集茶韵〉诗三首之三：“午窗睡着呼汤急，止渴还应似望梅。”
说梅止渴
shuō méi zhǐ kě
犹“望梅止渴”。见“望梅止渴”条。宋．李清照〈打马赋〉：“说梅止渴，稍苏奔竞之心；画饼充饥，少谢腾骧之志。”
