骇人听闻 — “Shocking”
骇人听闻 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “shocking”. Appalling; horrifying; causing great alarm or astonishment; sensational. Literally, “shocking to hear”.
骇人听闻 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 骇hài
- 人rén
- 听tīng
- 闻wén
骇人听闻 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 骇人听闻
Origin and Story of 骇人听闻
During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, Wang Shao, a scholar in the Imperial Library, often pleased the emperor with outlandish remarks.
He once falsely reported that someone had caught a turtle with four characters "天下杨兴" (The Yang family will prosper eternally) on its belly, supposedly foretelling the enduring prosperity of the Yang dynasty. When the empress passed away, Wang Shao claimed that she was a Bodhisattva reincarnated, who had now merely returned to heaven.
Although these "骇人视听" (shocking to the sight and hearing) preposterous statements were scorned by discerning individuals, they delighted Emperor Yang Guang. Consequently, Wang Shao remained in his position as scholar for nearly twenty years.
The idiom "骇人视听" is now commonly written as "骇人听闻".
Idioms Related to 骇人听闻
Synonyms of 骇人听闻
Antonyms of 骇人听闻
More idioms starting with 骇
- hài骇rén人shì视tīng听shocking to the eyes and ears
- hài骇rén人wén闻tīng听shocking to hear
- hài骇rén人wén闻jiàn见shocking to sight and hearing
- hài骇xīn心dòng动mù目profoundly shocking and visually striking
- hài骇làng浪jīng惊tāo涛perilous environment or fierce struggles
- hài骇zhuàng状shū殊xíng形bizarre and unusual shapes
- hài骇mù目jīng惊xīn心appalling and horrifying
- hài骇mù目zhèn振xīn心shocking to the eye and rousing to the heart
- hài骇lóng龙zǒu走shé蛇overwhelming and grand momentum
Questions about 骇人听闻
- What does 骇人听闻 mean?
- 骇人听闻 (hài rén tīng wén) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “shocking”.
- How do you pronounce 骇人听闻?
- 骇人听闻 is pronounced hài rén tīng wén in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 骇人听闻 literally mean?
- Literally, 骇人听闻 means “shocking to hear”. It is used to mean “shocking”.
- Where does 骇人听闻 come from?
- 骇人听闻 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 骇人听闻?
- 骇：震惊。使人听了非常吃惊、害怕。