惊慌失措

驚慌失措

jīnghuāng-shīcuò

idiom HSK 7-9 #11,315

Meanings

1 panicked and at a loss
2 flustered and disoriented

Characters

startled; alarmed

flustered; panicked

measure; plan of action

Literally 'alarmed, panicked, lost all composure' — so scared you cannot think of what to do.

Examples

地震的时候，很多人惊慌失措。

Dìzhèn de shíhou, hěnduō rén jīnghuāngshīcuò.

During the earthquake, many people panicked.

面对突发情况，他没有惊慌失措。

Miànduì tūfā qíngkuàng, tā méiyǒu jīnghuāngshīcuò.

Facing the emergency, he did not panic.

Tips

usage

Often used in the negative to praise composure: 他没有惊慌失措 (he didn't panic). It's a compliment to say someone stayed calm when others would have been 惊慌失措.

Stroke Order

惊 jīng

慌 huāng

失 shī

措 cuò