死不瞑目

sǐbù-míngmù

idiom

Meanings

1 lit. to die with one's eyes open
2 to die with a grievance or an unfulfilled wish
3 never to rest in peace

Characters

to close the eyes

Examples

HSK 4

他到死都没能再见女儿一面，死不瞑目。

Tā dào sǐ dōu méi néng zài jiàn nǚ'ér yí miàn, sǐbù-míngmù.

He never got to see his daughter again before he died, and could not die in peace.

HSK 7-9

这个案子不查个水落石出，我死不瞑目。

Zhège ànzi bù chá ge shuǐluò-shíchū, wǒ sǐbù-míngmù.

If this case isn't solved once and for all, I will never rest in peace.

Tips

history

From the 《三国志》: when 董卓 offered peace through a marriage alliance, 孙坚 refused, vowing that unless Dong Zhuo's whole clan was wiped out he would die with his eyes open. It is still most often a vow: "I won't rest until...". Compare 瞑目, to close one's eyes in death, at peace.

Stroke Order

死 sǐ

不 bù

瞑 míng

目 mù