惊肉生髀 — “To lament one's prolonged idleness and comfort”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 惊肉生髀?

惊叹久处安逸，不能有所作为。

惊肉生髀 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to lament one's prolonged idleness and comfort”. Fearing that one has grown soft and lost the ability or ambition to achieve great things.

Frequency

惊肉生髀 Pronunciation and Pinyin

惊肉生髀 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
惊	jīng	11	startle, alarm, surprise
肉	ròu	6	flesh, meat, or pulp
生	shēng	5	to be born, grow, or live
髀	bì	17	thigh; become idle and inactive

Example Sentence with 惊肉生髀

他在公司里担任闲职多年，如今面对新的挑战，不禁感叹自己惊肉生髀，手脚都有些生疏了

After holding an undemanding position in the company for many years, facing new challenges, he couldn't help but lament that he had grown soft from prolonged comfort, feeling a bit rusty.

Origin and Story of 惊肉生髀

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, after losing his territory in a conflict with Cao Cao, Liu Bei sought refuge with Liu Biao. Liu Biao held a banquet to console him. The two conversed cheerfully.

Later, when Liu Bei went to the latrine, he inadvertently touched his thighs and was startled to find that the flesh had grown back, indicating a period of inactivity.

Upon returning to his seat, he couldn't help but sigh, reflecting, 'If I continue like this, living in comfort, when will I ever succeed in restoring the Han Dynasty?'

Afterward, Liu Biao provided him with territory and troops to help him counter Cao Cao.