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危言耸听 (wēi yán sǒng tīng) — to make alarmist statements; to exaggerate dangers to shock others; (noun) alarmist talk

Definition

A formal idiom meaning to make alarming or exaggerated statements to frighten people, not to be taken literally. Used to accuse speakers or media of crying wolf — the danger is overstated, not real.

idiom
to make alarmist statementsto exaggerate dangers to shock others(noun) alarmist talk

Examples

  • 危言耸听，。
    Nǐ bié zài zhè r wēi yán sǒng tīng, shì qing méi nà me yán zhòng.
    Stop making alarmist statements here; things aren't that serious.
  • ，危言耸听。
    Yǒu xiē méi tǐ wèi le xī yǐn yǎn qiú, cháng cháng wēi yán sǒng tīng.
    Some media outlets often use alarmist language to attract eyeballs.
  • 危言耸听，。
    Tā de fā yán wēi yán sǒng tīng, dà jiā bú yào qīng xìn.
    His speech was alarmist; don't believe it easily.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

危言alarming words
危wēialarming言yánwords
偏正Modifier + head
耸听shock hearers
耸sǒngstartle听tīnghearing
动宾Verb + object

The 危言 alarming words 耸 startle the 听 hearers, giving the sense of exaggerating dangers to shock others.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聳; 耸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěr
Sound part声符shēngfú
從
從cóng聳sǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 聳 pairs 耳 (ear) with 從 (cóng) to give the sound; the simplified 耸 is a later shorthand.

Open 耸 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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