📖 Meaning
Snoring as loud as thunder. It describes someone sleeping very soundly with loud, heavy snoring. The phrase vividly portrays deep, undisturbed sleep.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from "Dream Pool Essays" (梦溪笔谈) by Shen Kuo of the Song Dynasty. The story recounts how the emperor sent someone to secretly observe what the minister Kou Zhun was doing. When the observer arrived, he found Kou Zhun sleeping soundly in the central secretariat, snoring as loudly as thunder. The emperor was reassured by Kou Zhun's calm composure, seeing it as a sign of his confidence and steady mind.
💡 Example Usage
他累了一整天，倒在床上便鼻息如雷。
After an exhausting day, he collapsed onto the bed and was soon snoring like thunder.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鼻息如雷
- Pinyin: bí xī rú léi
- Literal Translation: nose, breath, like, thunder
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4