楚弓遗影 — “A metaphor for unfounded fear or suspicion”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 楚弓遗影?

比喻因某事造成的疑惧心理。

楚弓遗影 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a metaphor for unfounded fear or suspicion”. Often caused by a misperception. Literally, “Chu bow's lingering shadow”.

Frequency

楚弓遗影 Pronunciation and Pinyin

楚弓遗影 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
楚	chǔ	13	clear, distinct, neat
弓	gōng	3	bow
遗	yí	12	to leave behind or lose
影	yǐng	15	shadow, image, film

Example Sentence with 楚弓遗影

小明看完那部恐怖片后，总觉得黑暗中有什么东西，形成了楚弓遗影的心理。

After watching that horror movie, Xiao Ming always felt there was something in the dark, a classic case of unfounded fear akin to the Chu bow's lingering shadow.

Origin and Story of 楚弓遗影

During the Jin Dynasty, a hospitable man named Yue Guang, who lived in Henan, noticed that a friend had not visited him for a considerable time. Feeling puzzled, he decided to visit his friend.

The friend explained that during his previous visit to Yue Guang's home, he had seen what looked like a small snake in his wine cup. After unknowingly drinking it, he became severely ill upon returning home.

Baffled, Yue Guang returned to his own house to investigate. He soon discovered the truth: a horn-shaped bow was hanging on the wall, and its shadow was cast into the wine cup, making it appear like a snake.

When the friend heard this explanation, his illness instantly vanished.