Definition
闻风丧胆 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'hear the wind and lose your gall bladder' — a vivid image for being so terrified that your courage drains away. You use it to describe someone who becomes panic-stricken or loses all nerve just from hearing a rumor or report about a threat, without even facing it directly. It's often applied to enemies, rivals, or opponents in a dramatic or literary context.
f.e.
to become terror-stricken at the news (of a threat or danger)
Examples
- 闻风丧胆。Dírén tīng dào wǒmen de míngzì jiù wén fēng sàng dǎn.The enemy becomes terror-stricken just hearing our name.
- ，闻风丧胆。Tā wǔyì gāoqiáng, duìshǒu wúbù wén fēng sàng dǎn.His martial arts skills are so formidable that every opponent is panic-stricken at the news.
- 闻风丧胆。Zhè zhī jūnduì céngjīng ràng dírén wén fēng sàng dǎn.This army once made the enemy lose their nerve just hearing about them.
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