📖 Meaning
To confuse people's eyes and ears, leaving them unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. It describes using erroneous or deceptive statements to mislead society and poison the minds of the public. The idiom emphasizes deliberately spreading falsehoods to manipulate public perception.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no recorded classical origin, and no specific dynasty or historical figure is associated with its creation. It is a modern compound formation built from the characters 迷 (to confuse) and 惑 (to bewilder), paired with 视 (sight) and 听 (hearing), representing the senses through which people perceive information. It is structurally parallel to the more established idiom 混淆视听 (to confuse and mislead public opinion), and shares its core semantic of obfuscating truth. The idiom entered common usage as a rhetorical device to condemn rumor-mongering and deceptive propaganda.
💡 Example Usage
谣言惑众，迷惑视听，必须严加查处。
Rumors mislead the public and confuse people's ears and eyes, so they must be strictly investigated and punished.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 迷惑视听
- Pinyin: mí huò shì tīng
- Literal Translation: confuse, bewilder, sight, hearing
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4