📖 Meaning
To suddenly show an angry or displeased expression on one's face. It describes a person whose face visibly flushes with indignation, often in reaction to being offended, contradicted, or slighted.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Daoist classic Zhuangzi (《庄子》), specifically the 'Heaven and Earth' (天地) chapter, a text from the Warring States period attributed to the philosopher Zhuang Zhou. In the passage, Zhuangzi exposes human hypocrisy: people are quick to flatter others, yet the moment someone calls them a flatterer, they become indignant and their face darkens with anger. The phrase has since been used to depict an instantaneous, visible display of displeasure.
💡 Example Usage
听了这番侮辱性的话，他怫然作色，拂袖而去。
Upon hearing those insulting words, his face flushed with anger and he stormed off with a sweep of his sleeve.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 怫然作色
- Pinyin: fú rán zuò sè
- Literal Translation: indignantly, show, facial expression
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4