📖 Meaning
To have a heart as venomous as snakes and scorpions. It describes someone whose nature is extremely cruel, vicious, and ruthless. The idiom uses two of the most feared venomous creatures to convey the depth of a person's wickedness.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Yuan dynasty anonymous play Bào Zhuāng Hé (抱妆盒), Act 2. In the drama, a character is described as having a heart even more venomous than that of snakes and scorpions. The expression draws on the traditional Chinese fear of snakes and scorpions as symbols of deadly poison. Over time it became a common metaphor for profound human cruelty and malice.
💡 Example Usage
这个恶人蛇蝎为心，残害了无数无辜百姓。
This wicked man had a heart as venomous as snakes and scorpions, harming countless innocent people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 蛇蝎为心
- Pinyin: shé xiē wéi xīn
- Literal Translation: snake, scorpion, as, heart
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4