Definition
天昏地暗 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally describes the sky turning dim and the earth going dark, like during a severe storm or eclipse. Figuratively, it describes a chaotic, troubled, or corrupt situation — the world turned upside down — and can also express extreme dizziness or blurry vision (e.g., 觉得天昏地暗). Use it to paint a vivid picture of turmoil or darkness, both literal and metaphorical.
f.e.
total darkness (literal: sky dim, earth dark)figuratively: chaoticcorruptor disastrous situationdizzy / faint (as in feeling the world spinning)
Examples
- ，天昏地暗，。Bàofēngyǔ lái le, chuāng wài tiān hūn de, shénme dōu kàn bu jiàn.The storm came, outside the window was pitch-dark, and nothing could be seen.
- ，天昏地暗，。Nà duàn shíqī zhèngzhì fǔbài, shèhuì tiān hūn de, bǎixìng shēnghuó kùnkǔ.During that period, politics was corrupt, society was in chaos, and the people lived in hardship.
- ，天昏地暗，。Tā fāshāo dé lìhai, zhǐ juéde tiān hūn de, lián zhàn dōu zhàn bu zhù.He had a high fever and felt so dizzy that he could hardly stand.
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