惊心动魄 — “Heart-stirring”
惊心动魄 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Heart-stirring”. Profoundly moving, thrilling, or terrifying, often causing intense excitement, awe, or fright. Literally, “startling the heart and moving the soul”.
惊心动魄 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 惊jīng
- 心xīn
- 动dòng
- 魄pò
惊心动魄 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 惊心动魄
Origin and Story of 惊心动魄
During the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Yue aimed to conquer the State of Wu. To achieve this, Yue collected rare treasures and delicious delicacies from across the land and presented them to the King of Wu.
Alongside these gifts, they also offered two stunning beauties, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan. The King of Wu arranged for the two beauties to reside in the royal chambers. When the beauties sat side by side, anyone who secretly glimpsed them was profoundly moved and shaken to their core, finding the sight breathtaking. The King of Wu became utterly enchanted by them.
Later, when the Yue army launched their attack on Wu, the King of Wu, still preoccupied with the two beauties, fled in a state of disarray and panic.
Idioms Related to 惊心动魄
Synonyms of 惊心动魄
Antonyms of 惊心动魄
More idioms starting with 惊
- jīng惊shì世jué绝sú俗astonishingly unique and world-shaking
- jīng惊shì世zhèn震sú俗shockingly unconventional or outrageous
- jīng惊shì世hài骇sú俗shocking and unconventional
- jīng惊shì世hài骇mù目to startle the world and shock the eyes
- jīng惊rén人zhī之jǔ举an astonishing feat
- jīng惊tàn叹bù不yǐ已exclaim in great admiration
- jīng惊xǐ喜jiāo交jiā加overwhelmed with surprise and joy
- jīng惊xǐ喜jiāo交jí集mingled surprise and delight
- jīng惊xǐ喜cān参bàn半mixed feelings of surprise and joy
- jīng惊xǐ喜yù欲kuáng狂wild with joy and excitement
- jīng惊xǐ喜ruò若kuáng狂overwhelmed with joy and surprise
- jīng惊tiān天dòng动dì地earth-shattering and monumental
Questions about 惊心动魄
- What does 惊心动魄 mean?
- 惊心动魄 (jīng xīn dòng pò) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Heart-stirring”.
- How do you pronounce 惊心动魄?
- 惊心动魄 is pronounced jīng xīn dòng pò in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 惊心动魄 literally mean?
- Literally, 惊心动魄 means “startling the heart and moving the soul”. It is used to mean “Heart-stirring”.
- Where does 惊心动魄 come from?
- 惊心动魄 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 惊心动魄?
- 使人神魂震惊。原指文辞优美，意境深远，使人感受极深，震动极大。后常形容使人十分惊骇紧张到极点。