📖 Meaning
This idiom describes glaring at someone with raised eyebrows and fierce, wide-open eyes, conveying intense anger and hostility. It portrays an aggressive, threatening facial expression that signals a confrontational and ill-tempered attitude.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in modern Chinese literature, notably in Cao Yu's play 'Wang Zhaojun' (第二幕), where a character remarks that after a month and a half in Chang'an, someone always appeared with a fierce, angry expression full of resentment. It is also found in Li Zhun's novella 'Li Shuangshuang' (《李双双小传》), where a character turns back with a glaring look before storming off in a rage. The imagery draws on the physical description of contorted facial features to convey seething anger.
💡 Example Usage
他横眉竖眼地瞪着对方，一句话也不肯说。
He glared at the other person with fierce, raised eyebrows, refusing to say a single word.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 横眉竖眼
- Pinyin: héng méi shù yǎn
- Literal Translation: horizontal eyebrows, vertical eyes
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4