📖 Meaning
Similar to the more common idiom 千疮百孔 (a thousand holes and a hundred perforations), this phrase describes something riddled with flaws, defects, or problems. It also conveys that something has been severely damaged or devastated, covered in countless wounds and injuries.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the well-known expression 千疮百孔. The character 痍 means wound or sore, so the phrase literally evokes an image of a body or surface covered with countless wounds and scars. Metaphorically, it came to describe systems, institutions, or places that are full of defects or have suffered extensive destruction. Unlike many classical idioms, it does not trace back to a single specific text or historical anecdote, but emerged organically as a vivid descriptive phrase in Chinese literary usage.
💡 Example Usage
经过这场战争，这座古城已是千疮百痍。
After the war, the ancient city was left riddled with wounds and devastation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 千疮百痍
- Pinyin: qiān chuāng bǎi yí
- Literal Translation: thousand, wounds, hundred, scars
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4