Definition
浑浑噩噩 is a four-character idiom describing a state of being muddleheaded, dull-witted, or living without a clear sense of purpose — like drifting through life in a fog. The literal image is murky and confused (浑浑 = muddy, 噩噩 = dazed), so it's almost always used negatively to criticize someone who lacks direction or awareness. It can describe a person's habitual state or a temporary mental fog.
r.f.
muddleheadedsimple-mindedlacking clear purpose or direction
Examples
- 浑浑噩噩，。Tā zhěngtiān hún hún è è de guò rìzi, yìdiǎn mùbiāo yě méiyǒu.He lives muddleheadedly all day, without any goals at all.
- 浑浑噩噩，。Niánqīng shí bù néng hún hún è è, yào wèi zìjǐ de wèilái nǔlì.When you're young, you can't be aimless — you have to work for your own future.
- ，浑浑噩噩，。Zìcóng cízhí yǐhòu, tā biàn de hún hún è è, shénme dōu bù xiǎng zuò.Since quitting his job, he's become muddleheaded and doesn't feel like doing anything.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.