📖 Meaning
A worried expression with knitted brows that refuse to relax. It describes someone weighed down by anxiety or heavy thoughts, unable to look cheerful. Often used when a person is preoccupied with troubles that show on their face.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a Tang dynasty poem by Yao Hu (姚鹄), titled 'Offered to Imperial Censor Li in Suizhou, No. 2.' In the verse, the poet laments his unfulfilled reclusion—every cup drunk alone through empty nights, and his worried brow never unfurling across many springs. It conveys years of suppressed sorrow and unrelieved anxiety. The expression later became a common idiom in classical Chinese literature.
💡 Example Usage
自公司破产后，他终日愁眉不展，对什么事都提不起兴趣。
Ever since his company went bankrupt, he has worn a worried frown all day long and lost interest in everything.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 愁眉不展
- Pinyin: chóu méi bù zhān
- Literal Translation: worry, brow, not, unfurl
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4