望眼欲穿

wàngyǎnyùchuān

idiom #56,891

Meanings

1 to gaze until one's eyes bore through
2 to await something with intense longing

Characters

about to; want to

to pierce through

Examples

母亲望眼欲穿地等着儿子回家。

Mǔqīn wàngyǎn yùchuān de děng zhe érzi huíjiā.

Mother waits for her son to come home, her eyes straining with longing.

粉丝望眼欲穿地等待偶像登场。

Fěnsī wàngyǎn yùchuān de děngdài ǒuxiàng dēngchǎng.

Fans wait on tenterhooks for their idol to come on stage.

Tips

history

Bai Juyi wrote (Tang) '青眼望中穿' (worn-out eyes gazing); Yang Wanli wrote (Song) '饥望炊烓眼欲穿' (hungry gaze at smoke until the eyes want to pierce). The modern phrase distills both images.

Stroke Order

望 wàng

眼 yǎn

欲 yù

穿 chuān