📖 Meaning
To look at each other in speechless dismay. It describes a situation where people are stunned, frightened, or at a loss, unable to utter a word or take action, simply staring helplessly at one another.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (红楼梦) by Cao Xueqin, specifically Chapter 94. In the scene, when a precious jade goes missing, the servants Sheyue and others search everywhere and question everyone, but no one knows anything. Upon returning, they are dumbfounded and can only stare at each other in helpless silence. The phrase later appeared in other Qing-era works such as Liu E's 'The Travels of Lao Can' (老残游记).
💡 Example Usage
听到这个突如其来的坏消息，众人面面相窥，谁也说不出话来。
Upon hearing the sudden bad news, everyone stared at each other in dismay, unable to say a word.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 面面相窥
- Pinyin: miàn miàn xiāng kuī
- Literal Translation: face, face, mutually, peer
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4