Definition
揪心 literally means 'to pull at the heart' — it describes a deep, visceral worry or anguish that feels physically tense. It is stronger than 担心 (dānxīn, 'to worry') and can apply both to how you feel (anxious and worried) and to something that causes that feeling (heartrending, agonizing).
s.v.
anxious and worriedheart-wrenchingagonizing
Examples
- ,揪心。Kàndào háizi shēngbìng, fùmǔ hěn jiū xīn.Seeing their child sick, the parents are very worried.
- 揪心,。Nà bù diànyǐng de qíngjié tèbié jiū xīn, ràng rén rěnbúzhù liúlèi.The plot of that movie is especially heart-wrenching; it makes people cannot help crying.
- ,揪心。Tā yí ge rén zài wàidì gōngzuò, wǒ zǒng gǎndào jiū xīn.He works alone in another city, and I always feel anxious about it.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.