寝食难安 (qǐn shí) — unable to eat or sleep due to worry (idiom); extremely troubled

Definition

Idiom meaning 'too worried to eat or sleep' — a formal, written way to describe extreme anxiety, stronger than just saying 担心 or 着急.

verb
unable to eat or sleep due to worry (idiom)extremely troubled

Examples

  • 寝食难安
    Tīng dào zhè ge huài xiāo xi hòu, tā qǐn shí le hǎo jǐ tiān.
    After hearing this bad news, he couldn't eat or sleep for several days.
  • 寝食难安
    Kǎo shì jié guǒ méi chū lái zhī qián, xué shēng men dōu qǐn shí.
    Before the exam results come out, all the students are extremely worried.
  • 寝食难安
    Tā yīn wèi jiā lǐ de shì qǐn shí, kàn qǐ lái hěn bù shū fu.
    He was so worried about family matters that he couldn't eat or sleep, and looked very uneasy.

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