阵脚

陣腳

zhènjiǎo

noun #22,682

Meanings

1 the flank or footing of a battle formation
2 one's position / composure under pressure

Characters

battle formation / array / spell

foot / footing / base

Examples

敌军的突然进攻打乱了我们的阵脚。

Díjūn de tūrán jìngōng dǎluàn le wǒmen de zhènjiǎo.

The enemy's sudden attack threw our battle formation into disarray.

面对质疑，她始终没有乱了阵脚，沉着应对。

Miànduì zhìyí, tā shǐzhōng méiyǒu luàn le zhènjiǎo, chénzhuó yìngduì.

Faced with questioning, she never lost her composure and responded calmly.

比赛开始后对手节节进攻，我方阵脚大乱。

Bǐsài kāishǐ hòu duìshǒu jiéjié jìngōng, wǒ fāng zhènjiǎo dàluàn.

After the match started, the opponent attacked relentlessly and our side fell into chaos.

Tips

usage

阵脚 is almost always used in the set phrase 乱了阵脚 (to lose one's footing / to be thrown into disarray). It originally referred to the flank of a military formation but is now used figuratively for losing composure or strategic footing.

Stroke Order

阵 zhèn

脚 jiǎo