📖 Meaning
To spoil or damage a beautiful scene or setting. By extension, to ruin someone's mood, enjoyment, or enthusiasm; to be a killjoy or wet blanket.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin (李商隐), who in his work Miscellaneous Collections (《杂纂》) listed various acts that 'spoil the scenery' (杀风景), such as shouting to clear the road while walking among flowers, or carrying a torch under bright moonlight. These were considered actions that destroyed an otherwise poetic and pleasant atmosphere. Over time the expression evolved into the idiom 大煞风景, used to describe anything that greatly dampens the mood or ruins an enjoyable moment.
💡 Example Usage
正当大家玩得开心时，突然下起大雨，真是大煞风景。
Just as everyone was having a great time, it suddenly started pouring rain — a real mood-killer.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 大煞风景
- Pinyin: dà shā fēng jǐng
- Literal Translation: big, spoil, scenery, scene
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4