令人发指

令人髮指

lìngrénfàzhǐ

idiom #20,586

Meanings

1 to make one's hair stand on end (with rage)
2 outrageous
3 abhorrent
4 heinous
5 deeply disturbing

Characters

to make / to cause / to order

person / people

hair (on the head)

to point / to stand upright

Examples

这种残忍的行为令人发指。

Zhè zhǒng cánrěn de xíngwéi lìng rén fà zhǐ.

This kind of cruel behavior is absolutely outrageous.

腐败官员的所作所为令人发指。

Fǔbài guānyuán de suǒzuò suǒwéi lìng rén fà zhǐ.

The actions of corrupt officials are heinous and make one's blood boil.

Tips

memory

Literally: 'to make people's hair (发) stand upright (指).' In ancient Chinese, extreme rage or shock was said to cause hair to bristle. Picture someone so enraged their hair stands straight up — a vivid image of moral outrage.

Stroke Order

令 lìng

人 rén

发 fā

指 zhǐ