心惊肉跳

心驚肉跳

xīnjīngròutiào

idiom #32,610

Meanings

1 heart pounding and flesh trembling
2 to be terrified; gripped by dread
3 nervous foreboding

Characters

startled; alarmed

to jump; to twitch

Examples

半夜听到楼上有脚步声，吓得我心惊肉跳。

Bànyè tīng dào lóu shàng yǒu jiǎobùshēng, xià de wǒ xīnjīngròutiào.

Hearing footsteps upstairs at midnight scared me out of my wits.

在结果公布前，他心惊肉跳，坐立不安。

Zài jiéguǒ gōngbù qián, tā xīnjīngròutiào, zuòlì bù'ān.

Before the results were announced, he was on tenterhooks, unable to sit still.

山路曲折陡峭，一路开得我心惊肉跳。

Shānlù qūzhé dǒuqiào, yīlù kāi de wǒ xīnjīngròutiào.

The mountain road twisted and plunged — the whole drive had my heart in my throat.

Tips

history

The form 心惊肉战 appears in the anonymous Yuan play 《争报恩》: "这一会儿心惊肉战" — my heart jumps and my flesh quivers. The variant 心惊肉跳 became standard by the Ming and Qing periods.

usage

Stronger than 害怕 or 紧张 — combines fear with physical sensation (pounding heart, twitching muscles). Often used for premonitions of bad news, horror scenes, and dangerous situations.

Stroke Order

心 xīn

惊 jīng

肉 ròu

跳 tiào