甚嚣尘上

甚囂塵上

shènxiāochénshàng

idiom #46,526

Meanings

1 clamor raises the dust (idiom)
2 a great uproar; much-talked-about rumor spreading widely
3 (often of rumors or criticism) running rampant

Characters

Examples

最近关于他的谣言甚嚣尘上。

Zuìjìn guānyú tā de yáoyán shènxiāochénshàng.

Rumors about him are rampant these days.

阴谋论甚嚣尘上，让人难辨真假。

Yīnmóulùn shènxiāochénshàng, ràng rén nán biàn zhēnjiǎ.

Conspiracy theories are running wild, making it hard to tell truth from falsehood.

那段时间，批评的声音甚嚣尘上。

Nà duàn shíjiān, pīpíng de shēngyīn shènxiāochénshàng.

During that period, criticisms were flying thick and fast.

Tips

history

From 《左传·成公十六年》: during the Battle of Yanling, the Chu king observed the enemy's preparations and remarked 甚嚣，且尘上矣 — 'the clamor is great, and dust rises' — meaning troops were massing. The idiom later shifted to figurative noise: loud opinions, rumors, and criticisms that stir up public attention.

register

Strongly negative in modern use — describes rumors, gossip, criticism, or disinformation swirling at high intensity. Formal/literary. Common in journalism and political commentary.

Stroke Order

甚 shèn

嚣 xiāo

尘 chén

上 shàng