📖 Meaning
This idiom describes speech or arguments that frighten, shock, or deeply unsettle the audience. It is used to characterize provocative or sensational discourse intended to awe or alarm those who hear or read it.
📜 Origin Story
Unlike the more widely documented variant 危言耸听, the form 危言竦论 lacks a clearly established textual source and is rarely encountered in classical literature. It appears to be a later compound expression built from 危言 (alarming words) and 竦论 (shocking discourse), with 竦 conveying a sense of awe, dread, or being startled. Its usage parallels that of 危言耸听, though it carries a slightly more literary or rhetorical tone.
💡 Example Usage
他在文中发表了不少危言竦论，让读者深感不安。
In his essay he put forward a number of alarming and shocking arguments that left readers deeply uneasy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 危言竦论
- Pinyin: wēi yán sǒng lùn
- Literal Translation: alarming words, shocking arguments
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4