The brothers, long separated, clung together and sobbed.
Tips
history
Attested in Liu E's late-Qing novel 《老残游记》 ch. 4: '这里于家父子同他家里人抱头痛哭' — 'here the Yu family, father and son with the rest of the household, clung together and wept bitterly'. The idiom marks scenes of intense shared grief or reunion.
usage
Used for dramatic emotional moments — reunions after long separation, shared grief, or intense relief. Typically implies two or more people holding each other.
