郁郁寡欢

鬱鬱寡歡

yùyù-guǎhuān

idiom

Meanings

1 depressed and joyless
2 gloomy and unsmiling

Characters

gloomy, pent-up

Examples

HSK 1

郁郁寡欢对身体不好。

Yùyùguǎhuān duì shēntǐ bùhǎo.

Staying gloomy is bad for your health.

HSK 4

失业后他整天郁郁寡欢。

Shīyè hòu tā zhěngtiān yùyùguǎhuān.

After losing his job, he's been gloomy all day, every day.

Tips

history

Traces to Qu Yuan's 《九章·抽思》 - 'my heart gloomy with grief, I sigh alone and wound myself.' The phrase carries a whiff of classical melancholy.

Stroke Order

郁 yù

寡 guǎ

欢 huān