满目疮痍 (mǎn mù chuāng yí) — (idiom) a scene of devastation everywhere; rubble and ruin as far as the eye can see

Definition

A literary chengyu meaning devastation and ruin visible everywhere. Used in writing about war, disaster, or post-conflict scenes — not for everyday speech.

idiom
a scene of devastation everywhererubble and ruin as far as the eye can see

Examples

  • ，满目疮痍，。
    Dì zhèn zhī hòu, zhěng gè chéng shì mǎn mù chuāng yí, lìng rén xīn tòng.
    After the earthquake, the whole city was a scene of devastation, heartbreaking to see.
  • ，满目疮痍，。
    Zhàn huǒ guò hòu, cūn zhuāng mǎn mù chuāng yí, dào chù shì dǎo tā de fáng wū.
    After the war, the village was devastated everywhere, with collapsed houses all around.
  • 满目疮痍，。
    Zhè piàn céng jīng fán huá de qū yù rú jīn mǎn mù chuāng yí, zhī shèng duàn bì cán yuán.
    This once bustling area is now a scene of devastation, with only broken walls and ruins left.

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.

满目the whole view
满mǎnfull目mùeye
偏正Modifier + head
疮痍wounds and ruin
疮chuāngsore痍yíwound
联合Side by side

满目 gives the whole view, while 疮痍 are wounds and ruin.

Characters in this word

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 疮 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
夷
夷yí痍yí
Same sound today

痍 uses 疒 to show sickness or injury, and 夷 to give the sound.

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