📖 Meaning
To cry out loud enough to shake heaven and earth. It describes extreme grief or sorrow expressed through loud, uncontrollable wailing. The idiom conveys the depth of anguish felt by the person crying.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the classic Qing dynasty novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (《红楼梦》), specifically Chapter 68. In the scene, the character Wang Xifeng dramatically throws herself into the embrace of Lady You, wailing loudly to express false grief and manipulate the situation. The vivid imagery of cries shaking both sky and earth became a stock expression for extreme lamentation in later literature.
💡 Example Usage
听闻噩耗，老妇人嚎天动地地痛哭起来。
Upon hearing the terrible news, the old woman wailed so loudly it seemed to shake heaven and earth.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 嚎天动地
- Pinyin: háo tiān dòng dì
- Literal Translation: howl, sky, shake, earth
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4