📖 Meaning
Describes a state of extreme fear or nervous anxiety where one is constantly on edge. The heart races in alarm and the gallbladder feels as if it is suspended, capturing the physical sensation of dread. It conveys being so frightened that one cannot find peace of mind.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no recorded classical source. It is a variant of the more common idiom 提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn), which carries the same meaning. The imagery draws on traditional Chinese medicine, where the heart governs the spirit and the gallbladder governs courage and decisiveness. When terrified, the heart palpitates and the gallbladder feels as though it is dangling — a vivid metaphor for the visceral experience of fear.
💡 Example Usage
深夜独自穿过墓地，他一路惊心吊胆。
Walking alone through the graveyard late at night, he was frightened and on edge the whole way.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 惊心吊胆
- Pinyin: jīng xīn diào dǎn
- Literal Translation: startled heart, hanging gallbladder
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4