惊慌失措

驚慌失措

jīnghuāng-shīcuò

idiom HSK 7 #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, hěn duō rén jīnghuāng-shīcuò.

During the earthquake, many people panicked.

面对突发情况，他没有惊慌失措。

Miànduì tūfā qíngkuàng, tā méiyǒu jīnghuāng-shīcuò.

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