📖 Meaning
This idiom describes mournful, wailing cries so dreadful they seem to come from both ghosts and spirits. It can also refer to loud, chaotic, and terrifying sounds that evoke fear and alarm.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Yang Xian's Yuan dynasty play 'Journey to the West' (Xinxiang's version), specifically in the third part, ninth scene. In the original text, the sound of eerie, supernatural wailing is described as 'ghosts crying and gods howling,' contrasting it with the far more pleasant parting song 'Yangguan' sung at Ba Bridge. The expression thus evokes a scene of haunting, otherworldly lamentation.
💡 Example Usage
狂风怒号，吹得鬼哭神号，村民吓得不敢出门。
The fierce wind howled with a ghost-and-god-wailing fury, terrifying the villagers so much that none dared step outside.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鬼哭神号
- Pinyin: guǐ kū shén hào
- Literal Translation: ghost, cry, god, howl
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4