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老虎捉到一只狐狸，要吃它。狐狸说：‘上天命令我做百兽的王，你吃了我就违背了天意。如果你不信，就跟我一块儿走，百兽见了我没有一个不逃跑的。’老虎依了它的话，跟它一块儿走，果然各种走兽见了都逃跑了。老虎不知道百兽是怕自己，还真以为是怕狐狸<见于《战国策 ·楚策》>。比喻倚仗别人的势力来欺压人。

lit. the fox exploits the tiger’s might (idiom); fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate people

（比喻借别人的威势欺压人） the fox assuming the majesty of the tiger -- borrowing power to do evil; (like) a donkey (an ass) in a lion's hide; a fox masquerading as a tiger; assume someone else's authority as one's own; assume the dignity of another; assume the dignity (authority) of sb. else as one's own; assuming self importance by one's connections; browbeat others by virtue of sb. else's influence (position; authority); clothe one's fox-like form with the borrowed majesty of the tiger; rely on one's master's might to bully other; swagger about in borrowed plumes; take advantage of the influence of others; The fox borrows the tiger's fierceness.; the fox who profited by the tiger's might -- to take advantage of sb. else's power to throw one's weight about; the lion's skin

bully people by flaunting one's powerful connections

《战国策‧楚策一》：“虎求百兽而食之，得狐。狐曰：‘子无敢食我也。天帝使我长百兽，今子食我，是逆天帝命也。子以我为不信，吾为子先行，子随我后，观百兽之见我而敢不走乎！’虎以为然，故遂与之行，兽见之皆走。虎不知兽畏己而走也，以为畏狐也。”后因以“狐假虎威”喻仰仗别人的威势或倚仗别人威势来欺压人。