迷魂阵

迷魂陣

míhúnzhèn

idiom #64,103

Meanings

1 a soul-bewildering formation
2 a trap meant to confuse and ensnare
3 a scheme designed to lose its victim in the fog

Characters

to bewitch; confuse

battle formation

Examples

他设了个迷魂阵，让对手彻底摸不着头脑。

Tā shèle gè míhúnzhèn, ràng duìshǒu chèdǐ mō bù zháo tóunǎo.

He laid a whole maze of misdirection so his opponent couldn't figure out a thing.

推销员摆出一套迷魂阵，老太太就买单了。

Tuīxiāoyuán bǎichū yī tào míhúnzhèn, lǎotàitai jiù mǎidān le.

The salesman set up a dazzling pitch and the old lady was paying before she knew it.

合同条款像迷魂阵，小心看清楚。

Héngtóng tiáokuǎn xiàng míhúnzhèn, xiǎoxīn kàn qīngchu.

Contract clauses can be a labyrinth — read every line.

Tips

culture

阵 is a military 'formation' — think Zhuge Liang's legendary 八阵图, a stone array said to trap enemies in a shifting maze. 迷魂阵 borrows that image for any trap that dazzles and disorients.

usage

Commonly 摆迷魂阵 or 设迷魂阵 ('to lay/set a bewildering trap'). The victim 中了迷魂阵 ('falls into the maze').

Stroke Order

迷 mí

魂 hún

阵 zhèn