📖 Meaning
Dim, dull, and lacking any brightness or luster. It describes something that has lost its original radiance or brilliance, whether literal light or figurative glory. Often used to convey a gloomy, faded, or lifeless quality.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the Qing dynasty novel 'Ernü Yingxiong Zhuan' (儿女英雄传) by Wen Kang, where it describes a faded blue official hat-top whose once-vibrant peacock feather has been worm-eaten down to a bare stalk. The description vividly contrasts past splendor with present decay, using the loss of light as a metaphor for decline. Over time the expression broadened beyond official regalia to describe any dim, lackluster, or faded appearance.
💡 Example Usage
阴云密布的天空显得暗淡无光，让人心情也跟着低落下来。
The cloud-covered sky looked dim and lusterless, dragging one's mood down with it.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 暗淡无光
- Pinyin: àn dàn wú guāng
- Literal Translation: dark, dim, without, light
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4