📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a state where one's mind has not yet calmed down after being frightened. It conveys lingering fear and emotional turmoil following a shock or terrifying experience. The phrase vividly portrays a soul still reeling from a recent fright.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Song Dynasty scholar-official Su Shi (苏轼), in his memorial 'Xiè Liàng Yí Rǔ Zhōu Biǎo' (Memorial of Thanks for Transfer to Ruzhou). Su Shi had suffered political persecution, including imprisonment and exile, and this memorial expressed gratitude when he was reassigned to a less harsh post. He wrote of his lonely shadow wandering by rivers and lakes, his startled soul not yet settled, still dreaming as though trapped in prison. The words captured the lasting trauma of his imprisonment and banishment, giving the phrase its enduring evocative power.
💡 Example Usage
地震过后，居民们惊魂未定，纷纷跑到空旷的地方躲避。
After the earthquake, the residents were still shaken and fled to open areas for safety.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 惊魂未定
- Pinyin: jīng hún wèi dìng
- Literal Translation: startled, soul, not yet, settled
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4