📖 Meaning
To feel deeply anxious and unsettled, unable to find peace of mind. It describes a state of inner fear and unease, often caused by uncertainty or threatening circumstances. The reduplication of 惶 emphasizes the intensity of the anxiety.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Book of Han' (汉书), specifically the biography of Wang Mang. In the text, the people were described as being in a state of panic, not knowing what to do. The Tang dynasty scholar Yan Shigu annotated this passage, explaining that the term '正营' meant '惶恐不安' — frightened and ill at ease. Over time, the expression evolved into the four-character form 惶惶不安 used today.
💡 Example Usage
战争爆发后，城中百姓惶惶不安，纷纷收拾财物准备逃难。
After war broke out, the people in the city felt deeply anxious and uneasy, hurriedly packing their belongings to flee.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 惶惶不安
- Pinyin: huáng huáng bù ān
- Literal Translation: anxious, anxious, not, at peace
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4