📖 Meaning
To have lost all sense of conscience and morality. It describes someone whose wickedness has reached an extreme, completely devoid of any moral compass or decency. The phrase is used to condemn utterly ruthless and heartless behavior.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty work 'Lüyuan Conghua' (履园丛话) by Qian Yong, specifically in the chapter 'Yilun·Liji' (臆论·利己). Qian Yong observed that people of his time, already wealthy and arrogant, had further abandoned all conscience in their pursuit of self-interest. The expression has since become a severe condemnation of those who act without any moral restraint whatsoever.
💡 Example Usage
这些丧尽天良的商人竟在婴儿奶粉里掺假，害了无数家庭。
These utterly conscienceless merchants actually adulterated baby formula, harming countless families.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 丧尽天良
- Pinyin: sàng jìn tiān liáng
- Literal Translation: lost, completely, heaven, conscience
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4