闻风丧胆 (wén fēng sàng dǎn) — to become terror-stricken at the news (of a threat or danger)

Definition

A chengyu describing instant, paralyzing fear the moment one hears of a threat — stronger than simple 'afraid', it implies losing all courage at the news itself.

idiom
to become terror-stricken at the news (of a threat or danger)

Examples

  • 闻风丧胆。
    Dí rén tīng dào wǒ men de míng zì jiù wén fēng sàng dǎn.
    The enemy becomes terror-stricken just hearing our name.
  • ，闻风丧胆。
    Tā wǔ yì gāo qiáng, duì shǒu wú bù wén fēng sàng dǎn.
    His martial arts skills are so formidable that every opponent is panic-stricken at the news.
  • 闻风丧胆。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì céng jīng ràng dí rén wén fēng sàng dǎn.
    This army once made the enemy lose their nerve just hearing about them.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

闻风hear news
闻wénhear风fēngnews
动宾Verb + object
丧胆lose courage
丧sànglose胆dǎncourage
动宾Verb + object

闻风 gives hearing news, 丧胆 gives losing courage; together they mean becoming terror-stricken at news.

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 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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 喪; 丧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㗊㗊㗊many mouths
Sound part声符shēngfú
桑
桑sāng喪sàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 喪 originally paired 桑 (mulberry tree) with 㗊 (many mouths). The simplified 丧 is the modern form, deriving from a form that used 哭 (cry) and 亡 (die).

Open 丧 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn胆dǎn
Same sound today

胆 combines ⺼, written as 肉 when full, for a body part, with 旦 as a sound part.

Open 胆 →

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