📖 Meaning
To shake one's very soul and startle the heart. It describes something so intense, beautiful, or terrifying that it deeply shocks the emotions, often used to describe a scene or event that is extremely frightening or thrilling to the point of near panic.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from the Southern Dynasties period, specifically from Zhong Rong's "Shi Pin" (Grades of Poetry) written around the 6th century. In his evaluation of a poem's literary merit, Zhong Rong praised writing that was gentle in diction yet sad and far-reaching in meaning, stating it could 'startle the soul and move the heart' — nearly worth one gold coin per character. Originally the phrase praised profound literary artistry and emotional depth, but over time it evolved to describe anything that terrifies or shocks a person intensely.
💡 Example Usage
那场悬崖上的救援惊险万分，动魄惊心，令人久久难以平静。
The rescue on the cliff was extremely perilous and heart-stopping, leaving people unable to calm down for a long time.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 动魄惊心
- Pinyin: dòng pò jīng xīn
- Literal Translation: move, soul, startle, heart
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4