📖 Meaning
Literally describing violent, frightening waves on the sea, this idiom figuratively refers to violent and turbulent social movements or upheavals. It evokes the image of being caught in a storm of dramatic historical change, where forces beyond one's control sweep everything along.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Qing dynasty scholar Liang Qichao's work 'Biography of Madame Roland, the First Female Heroine of Modern Times' (近代第一女杰罗兰夫人传). In the text, Liang describes how Madame Roland and the Girondin party, standing upon the city walls, were ultimately swept away by the fierce waves of the French Revolution. The metaphor of terrifying waves represents the violent social upheaval and revolutionary turmoil that consumed all in their path. Liang used this vivid maritime imagery to convey the overwhelming, destructive force of revolutionary tides.
💡 Example Usage
在那个动荡的年代，许多人的命运都被卷入了历史的狂涛骇浪之中。
In that turbulent era, the fates of many people were swept into the fierce waves of history.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 狂涛骇浪
- Pinyin: kuáng tāo hài làng
- Literal Translation: fierce waves, terrifying billows
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4