📖 Meaning
Hair stands on end, describing extreme shock, terror, or fright. It is a variant of the more common idiom 毛发悚然. The phrase conveys a visceral physical reaction of fear.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant form of the well-known expression 毛发悚然, which describes the involuntary physical response of hair standing on end when one is deeply frightened. The character 耸 (to rise or stand tall) substitutes for 悚 (to shudder with fear), but the meaning remains identical. It appears in classical and vernacular Chinese literature to vividly depict scenes of terror or supernatural dread. No single definitive source text is associated with this particular variant.
💡 Example Usage
深夜独自行走在荒野中，四周传来诡异声响，令他毛发耸然。
Walking alone through the wilderness at night, eerie sounds from all around made his hair stand on end.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 毛发耸然
- Pinyin: máo fā sǒng rán
- Literal Translation: hair, stand, upright, thus
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4