提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) — to be on tenterhooks; to be in a state of extreme fear or anxiety
Definition
A chengyu describing prolonged worry and fear while waiting for something bad — 'on tenterhooks'. Unlike 惊慌失措 (panic when disaster strikes), this is the drawn-out anxiety beforehand.
phrase
to be on tenterhooksto be in a state of extreme fear or anxiety
Examples
- ，提心吊胆。Kǎo shì jié guǒ hái méi gōng bù, tóng xué men dōu tí xīn diào dǎn de.The exam results haven't been announced yet, and all the students are on edge.
- 提心吊胆。Tā měi tiān tí xīn diào dǎn dì děng zhe yī shēng diàn huà.He anxiously waits for the doctor's call every day.
- 提心吊胆，。Nà duàn rì zi tā guò dé tí xīn diào dǎn, shēng pà bèi fā xiàn.During those days she lived in constant fear, terrified of being discovered.
Appears in
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