📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a state of extreme terror and panic, as if one's soul has been shaken loose and sent flying. It conveys being frightened out of one's wits.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the late Qing dynasty novel《黑籍冤魂》(The Wronged Souls of the Opium Dens). In its third chapter, the author describes how opium addicts across the country were frightened out of their wits upon hearing that the government was about to issue orders banning opium. The vivid imagery of a soul being tossed and scattered captures the intensity of their fear.
💡 Example Usage
听到那个可怕的消息后，他吓得魄荡魂飞，半天说不出话来。
After hearing that terrifying news, he was so frightened that his soul seemed to fly from his body, unable to speak for a long time.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 魄荡魂飞
- Pinyin: pò dàng hún fēi
- Literal Translation: soul shaken, spirit flying
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4