气急败坏

氣急敗壞

qìjí-bàihuài

idiom #23,267

Meanings

1 flustered and exasperated
2 utterly discomfited
3 in a rage and at a loss

Characters

frantic / urgent

defeated / ruined

Examples

HSK 4

听到这个消息，她气急败坏，不知道该怎么办。

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, tā qìjí-bàihuài, bùzhīdào gāi zěnmebàn.

Upon hearing the news, she was flustered and exasperated, not knowing what to do.

HSK 5

他气急败坏地冲进办公室。

Tā qìjí-bàihuài de chōng jìn bàngōngshì.

He burst into the office in a flustered rage.

HSK 7-9

经理气急败坏地训斥了那个员工。

Jīnglǐ qìjí-bàihuài de xùnchì le nàge yuángōng.

The manager scolded that employee in a furious fluster.

Tips

memory

Break it into: 气 (breath/anger) + 急 (urgent/frantic) + 败坏 (ruined/corrupted). Picture someone so angry their breathing is frantic and their composure is completely ruined.

Stroke Order

气 qì

急 jí

败 bài

坏 huài