心慌意乱 (xīn huāng yì luàn) — flustered and anxious; in a panic; distraught

Definition

A vivid chengyu meaning 'heart racing, thoughts scattered' — describes someone in a panic who can't think clearly. Used in both casual speech and writing, but stronger and more literary than just 紧张.

idiom

flustered and anxiousin a panicdistraught

Examples

，心慌意乱，。
Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā xīn huāng yì luàn, bù zhī dào gāi zěn me bàn.
Hearing this news, he was flustered and didn't know what to do.
心慌意乱，。
Kǎo shì zhī qián tā zǒng shì xīn huāng yì luàn, zuò lì bù ān.
She always gets panicky before exams, unable to sit still.
心慌意乱，，。
Bié xīn huāng yì luàn, màn màn shuō, wǒ men yì qǐ xiǎng bàn fǎ.
Don't panic — take your time telling us, and we'll figure it out together.

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