📖 Meaning
Describes a state of extreme fury or intense excitement in which one's hair bristles upright as if lifting the hat off the head. It vividly conveys the physical manifestation of overwhelming rage or impassioned fervor.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Ji Kang's essay "On Nourishing Life" (《养生论》), written during the Three Kingdoms period of the Wei dynasty. Ji Kang, a renowned scholar and one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, wrote: "The anger of a valiant man presents a startling spectacle — his hair stands erect and lifts his hat." The phrase captures the classical Chinese belief that strong emotions could cause a visible physical reaction.
💡 Example Usage
他听到那番污蔑之词，顿时植发冲冠，拍案而起。
Upon hearing those slanderous words, his hair stood on end in fury, and he slammed the table as he rose to his feet.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 植发冲冠
- Pinyin: zhí fà chōng guàn
- Literal Translation: hair, stand erect, push up, hat
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4