握拳透爪 — “To clench one's fists so tightly that the nails pierce the palm”
握拳透爪 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to clench one's fists so tightly that the nails pierce the palm”. Expressing extreme indignation, rage, or hatred. Literally, “Clench fists, nails pierce through”.
握拳透爪 Pronunciation and Pinyin
握拳透爪 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 握拳透爪
Origin and Story of 握拳透爪
During the Jin Dynasty, military general Bian Hu, defending the realm against the rebel Su Jun, fought valiantly. Both he and his son died on the battlefield and were buried where they fell.
Later, when tomb robbers broke into Bian Hu's grave, they discovered his corpse was stiff, his temples gray, and his face appeared lifelike.
His hands were tightly clenched into fists, with his fingernails having pierced through the backs of his hands.
Idioms Related to 握拳透爪
Synonyms of 握拳透爪
More idioms starting with 握
- wò握yún云ná拿wù雾Skillfully control complex, fluid situations
- wò握yún云xié携yǔ雨intimacy between man and woman
- wò握fà发tǔ吐bǔ哺eagerly seek and attract talent
- wò握fā发tǔ吐sūn飧eagerly seek and attract talent
- wò握fā发tǔ吐cān餐eagerly welcome talented individuals
- wò握tú图lín临yǔ宇Command a vast domain
- wò握shǒu手chéng成jiāo交shake hands and close a deal
- wò握shǒu手jí极huān欢shake hands with extreme joy
- wò握shǒu手yán言huān欢shake hands and make peace
- wò握qiàn椠huái怀qiān铅diligently engaged in scholarly writing
- wò握mù沐tǔ吐cān餐eagerly seek out and receive talented individuals
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Open the tool →Questions about 握拳透爪
What does 握拳透爪 mean?
握拳透爪 (wò quán tòu zhǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to clench one's fists so tightly that the nails pierce the palm”.
How do you pronounce 握拳透爪?
握拳透爪 is pronounced wò quán tòu zhǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 握拳透爪 literally mean?
Literally, 握拳透爪 means “Clench fists, nails pierce through”. It is used to mean “to clench one's fists so tightly that the nails pierce the palm”.
Where does 握拳透爪 come from?
握拳透爪 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 握拳透爪?
爪：指甲。紧握拳头，指甲穿过掌心。形容愤慨到极点。