📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a state of being anxious, hurried, and restless. It conveys a sense of urgent unease where one cannot settle down or feel at peace even for a fleeting moment. The phrase emphasizes both the internal anxiety and the outward rushing behavior it produces.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a letter by the Song dynasty philosopher Lu Jiuyuan titled 'To Zhou Yuanzhong' (与周元忠). Lu Jiuyuan discussed the process of resolving intellectual doubts, arguing that when doubt reaches its peak and begins to resolve, a person must feel a deep sense of anxious urgency, never daring to rest easy for even a moment, before true understanding can be achieved. The term '汲汲' denotes pressing eagerness, while '皇皇' conveys a state of inner turmoil and restlessness.
💡 Example Usage
他收到消息后汲汲皇皇地赶往车站，生怕错过了最后一班车。
After receiving the news, he rushed anxiously to the station, terrified of missing the last bus.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 汲汲皇皇
- Pinyin: jí jí huáng huáng
- Literal Translation: anxiously pressing, distressed and restless
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4