📖 Meaning
So tragic and sorrowful that it breaks one's heart and is unbearable to look at. It describes a scene of extreme misery that causes both emotional pain and visual distress to the observer.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from a Tang Dynasty essay titled 'Lament for the Ancient Battlefield' (吊古战场文) by the writer Li Hua (李华). In the essay, Li Hua vividly depicts the desolate ruins of an old battlefield littered with the bones of fallen soldiers, evoking the profound tragedy of war. He concludes that the heartbreak and horror of such a scene is beyond words, giving rise to this enduring idiom.
💡 Example Usage
战后满目疮痍的废墟，令人伤心惨目。
The scarred ruins and devastation left after the war were so tragic that one could hardly bear to look.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 伤心惨目
- Pinyin: shāng xīn cǎn mù
- Literal Translation: hurt, heart, miserable, eyes
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4