惊弓之鸟

驚弓之鳥
jīnggōngzhīniǎo
idiom #43,806

Meanings

  1. 1 lit. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow
  2. 2 someone who spooks easily due to past trauma; a badly frightened person

Examples

Jīnglìguò nà cì shìgù hòu, tā chéngle jīnggōngzhīniǎo.
After that accident, he became a frightened bird — jumping at every sound.
Díjūn yǐ shì jīnggōngzhīniǎo, bùkānyījī.
The enemy troops were like birds startled by a bowstring — they couldn't withstand a single blow.

Tips

history
From 《·》: the archer Geng Ying drew his empty bow, and a passing goose fell out of the sky — a goose once shot, flying alone with an old wound, crashed at the twang alone. The story crystallised the idea that past pain makes future fear.

Stroke Order

jīng
gōng
zhī
niǎo