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凶神恶煞

兇神惡煞
xiōngshén-èshà
idiom #33,783

Meanings

  1. 1 fiends and demons
  2. 2 vicious-looking thugs
  3. 3 terrifying brutes
  4. 4 (of a person) wearing a savage, menacing expression

Examples

HSK 4
几个凶神恶煞的人冲进了店里。
Jǐ gè xiōngshén-èshà de rén chōngjìn le diàn lǐ.
Several vicious-looking thugs barged into the shop.
HSK 6
他平时很温和，发起火来却像凶神恶煞。
Tā píngshí hěn wēnhé, fāqǐ huǒ lái què xiàng xiōngshén-èshà.
He's usually mild, but when he loses his temper he looks like a demon.

Tips

history
First recorded in the Yuan-dynasty zaju play 《桃花女》 (Peach Blossom Girl), Act 3, describing astrologically inauspicious 'malign deities and evil stars' that bring death. 煞 in folk religion meant a fierce malevolent spirit; the original meaning was supernatural, and the vivid imagery extended to flesh-and-blood thugs over time.
usage
Almost always describing how someone looks - their expression, posture, glare. Common in police/news writing about violent suspects. Functions as a modifier (凶神恶煞的男人) or predicate (那人长得凶神恶煞 'that guy looks vicious').

Stroke Order

凶 xiōng
神 shén
恶 è
煞 shà/shā