暗中摸索 — “To grope in the dark”
暗中摸索 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to grope in the dark”. To work without guidance or direction; to explore or feel one's way through an unfamiliar situation. Literally, “to grope in the dark”.
暗中摸索 Pronunciation and Pinyin
暗中摸索 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 暗中摸索
Origin and Story of 暗中摸索
During the Tang Dynasty, the scholar Xu Jingzong was known for his arrogance. He often forgot the names of new acquaintances immediately after being introduced.
When someone remarked on his poor memory, he retorted, 'I naturally wouldn't remember people like you. But if I were to encounter figures like He Xun, Liu Xiaobiao, Shen Yue, or Xie Tiao, even if I were to grope in the dark, I would have no trouble recognizing them.'
Idioms Related to 暗中摸索
Antonyms of 暗中摸索
More idioms starting with 暗
- àn暗zhōng中zuò作lè乐secretly indulge in pleasure
- àn暗zhōng中zuò作gěng梗secretly obstruct or sabotage
- àn暗zhōng中qīng倾yà轧secretly undermine each other
- àn暗zhōng中pán盘suàn算secretly scheme for personal gain
- àn暗shì室bù不qī欺maintain integrity even when unobserved
- àn暗shì室kuī亏xīn心do shameful deeds in secret with a guilty conscience
- àn暗shì室wū屋lòu漏private place where actions are judged
- àn暗shì室qī欺xīn心secretly do bad deeds against conscience
- àn暗shì室qiú求wù物groping in the dark for something
- àn暗shì室sī私xīn心secret misconduct with a guilty conscience
- àn暗shì室féng逢dēng灯Finding timely help in a desperate situation
- àn暗chá察míng明fǎng访covertly observe and overtly inquire
Recommended tools
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →Questions about 暗中摸索
What does 暗中摸索 mean?
暗中摸索 (àn zhōng mō suǒ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to grope in the dark”.
How do you pronounce 暗中摸索?
暗中摸索 is pronounced àn zhōng mō suǒ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 暗中摸索 literally mean?
Literally, 暗中摸索 means “to grope in the dark”. It is used to mean “to grope in the dark”.
Where does 暗中摸索 come from?
暗中摸索 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 暗中摸索?
摸索：寻求，探索。在黑暗中寻找。后比喻没有人指导，独自钻研。