柴毁骨立 — “To be extremely emaciated and haggard from excessive grief”
柴毁骨立 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be extremely emaciated and haggard from excessive grief”. Especially due to intense sorrow during the mourning period for one's parents. Literally, “Wasted like firewood, bones standing (emaciated)”.
柴毁骨立 Pronunciation and Pinyin
柴毁骨立 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 柴毁骨立
Origin and Story of 柴毁骨立
During the Sui Dynasty, Chen Xiaoyi, a judicial assistant in Lu Commandery, was known for his fairness and integrity, enjoying high prestige within the area. He was an exceptionally filial son.
When his father passed away, he resigned from his post to observe the mourning period at home, dedicating himself to filial piety.
After the mourning period concluded, he was appointed as the Prefect of Yanmen Commandery. However, he continued to maintain a vegetarian diet and constantly grieved for his deceased father, which eventually led him to become utterly emaciated, appearing "wasted like firewood, bones standing".
Idioms Related to 柴毁骨立
Synonyms of 柴毁骨立
More idioms starting with 柴
- chái柴tiān天gǎi改wù物institute sweeping reforms and transform old order
- chái柴tiān天gǎi改yù玉usher in a new era
- chái柴huǐ毁miè灭xìng性wasted away from extreme grief
- chái柴lì立bù不ē阿Upright and unbending
- chái柴mǐ米fū夫qī妻a humble couple focused on daily necessities
- chái柴mǐ米yóu油yán盐daily necessities
- chái柴chē车fú幅jīn巾live a simple, unpretentious life
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Open the tool →Questions about 柴毁骨立
What does 柴毁骨立 mean?
柴毁骨立 (chái huǐ gǔ lì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be extremely emaciated and haggard from excessive grief”.
How do you pronounce 柴毁骨立?
柴毁骨立 is pronounced chái huǐ gǔ lì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 柴毁骨立 literally mean?
Literally, 柴毁骨立 means “Wasted like firewood, bones standing (emaciated)”. It is used to mean “to be extremely emaciated and haggard from excessive grief”.
Where does 柴毁骨立 come from?
柴毁骨立 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 柴毁骨立?
形容因居父母丧过度哀痛，身体受到摧残，消瘦憔悴的样子。