芒刺在背 (máng cì zài bèi) — like thorns on the back — to feel extremely nervous or uneasy

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'like thorns prickling the back' — to feel intense, restless anxiety, often because someone is watching or judging you. Pairs with 坐立不安 in the example sentences.

idiom
like thorns on the back — to feel extremely nervous or uneasy

Examples

  • ，芒刺在背，。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā rú máng cì zài bèi, zuò lì bù ān.
    Upon hearing this news, he felt like having thorns on his back and couldn't sit still.
  • 芒刺在背，。
    Měi cì kǎo shì qián tā dōu máng cì zài bèi, shēng pà zì jǐ kǎo bù hǎo.
    Before every exam, she feels nervous and uneasy, afraid she won't do well.
  • ，芒刺在背。
    Lǎo bǎn lěng lěng de kàn le tā yì yǎn, tā dùn shí máng cì zài bèi.
    The boss gave him a cold look, and he immediately felt a thorn in his back.

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.

芒刺thorns
芒mángawn刺cìthorn
联合Side by side
在背on back
在zàibe at背bèiback
动宾Verb + object

芒刺 on 背 gives the image of thorns pricking one's back.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng芒máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

芒 pairs 艹 (grass) with 亡 as a sound part.

Open 芒 →

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
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì刺cì
Same sound today

刺 pairs 刂 (knife) with 朿, which gives the sound; the knife part fits actions like stabbing or pricking.

Open 刺 →

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

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

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
月Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
北
北běi背bèi
Same sound today

背 was first written as 北; 北 gives the sound, and 肉 (meat, written as 月 here) was added to separate it from 北’s north meaning.

Open 背 →

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