📖 Meaning
Describes a scene or atmosphere of extreme terror and distress, so horrifying that even ghosts wail and gods are troubled by it. It conveys an overwhelming sense of dread and anguish that transcends the mortal realm.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Ming dynasty play "Golden Lotus" (《金莲花》) by playwright Chen Ruyuan (陈汝元), specifically the scene titled "Releasing Anger" (《释愤》). In the play, a former prime minister boasts of his once-unshakable power, declaring that when he barely furrowed his brow, the entire court would be thrown into such terror that ghosts would cry and gods would grieve. The phrase vividly captures the oppressive atmosphere of absolute authority and the fear it instills.
💡 Example Usage
那场屠杀的惨状，真可谓鬼哭神愁。
The horror of that massacre was such that it could truly be described as enough to make ghosts wail and gods grieve.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鬼哭神愁
- Pinyin: guǐ kū shén chóu
- Literal Translation: ghost, cry, god, worry
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4