危言耸听

危言聳聽
wēiyán-sǒngtīng
idiom #29,864

Meanings

  1. 1 alarmist talk
  2. 2 to exaggerate danger to frighten people
  3. 3 scaremongering

Examples

HSK 5
Méitǐ yǒushí huì wēiyán-sǒngtīng lái xīyǐn yǎnqiú.
The media sometimes uses alarmist talk to attract attention.
HSK 7-9
Tā de yùyán bùguò shì wēiyán-sǒngtīng, búbì dāngzhēn.
His predictions are nothing but scaremongering - there's no need to take them seriously.

Tips

memory
危 (danger) + 言 (words) + 耸 (to startle) + 听 (to listen) - dangerous words that make the listener's hair stand on end. Picture someone whispering alarming things into a terrified listener's ear.

Stroke Order

危 wēi
言 yán
耸 sǒng
听 tīng