📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a person who has become emaciated or thin. It refers to clothing and belts becoming loose because the wearer has lost weight. It is typically used to depict the physical toll of longing, grief, or lovesickness.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Wang Shifu's 'Romance of the Western Chamber' (西厢记), a famous Yuan dynasty dramatic work. In the second part, fourth scene, the text reads: 'Word by word, the night drags on; sound by sound, clothes grow wide and belts grow loose.' The lines express the sorrow of separation and lovesickness, where grief causes one to waste away physically, resulting in loose-fitting garments.
💡 Example Usage
自他远行后，她终日思念，日渐衣宽带松，形容憔悴。
Since he went away, she pined for him day and night, growing thin and haggard until her clothes hung loose.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 衣宽带松
- Pinyin: yī kuān dài sōng
- Literal Translation: clothes, wide, belt, loose
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4