扣人心弦

kòu rén xīn xián

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

Definitions

1. to excite
2. to thrill
3. exciting
4. thrilling
5. cliff-hanging

Word relationships

Antonyms

2 items

• 平淡无奇 píng dàn wú qí 平淡无奇 píng dàn wú qí ordinary and mediocre (idiom); nothing to write home about 扣人心弦表示激动人心，与平淡无奇相反，后者指没有突出之处。: ordinary and mediocre (idiom); nothing to write home about
• 索然无味 suǒ rán wú wèi 索然无味 suǒ rán wú wèi dull 索然无味形容毫无趣味，与扣人心弦的令人兴奋相反。: dull

Related words

1 item

• 惊心动魄 jīng xīn dòng pò 惊心动魄 jīng xīn dòng pò (idiom) heart-stopping; hair-raising; breathtaking 惊心动魄也用来形容令人非常紧张、激动的场景，与扣人心弦意义相近。: (idiom) heart-stopping; hair-raising; breathtaking

Synonyms

1 item

• 引人入胜 yǐn rén rù shèng 引人入胜 yǐn rén rù shèng to enchant 扣人心弦形容情节、表演等非常吸引人，引人入胜也有类似意思，但后者更强调引人进入佳境。: to enchant

Usage notes

Common mistakes

扣人心弦 is an idiom, typically used as a predicate or attribute, not as a verb with an object. Avoid saying 他扣人心弦我. Correct: 这部电影扣人心弦。

Formality

扣人心弦 is slightly formal and often used in written reviews or descriptions of stories, movies, or performances.

Example Sentences

1 shown

这场比赛的最后一分钟真是 扣人心弦 。

The last minute of this match was truly thrilling.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 扣人心弦

• 人 人 rén: person; people
• 弦 弦 xián: bow string
• 心 心 xīn: heart
• 扣 扣 kòu: to fasten
• 人心 人心 rén xīn: popular feeling
• 心弦 心弦 xīn xián: heartstrings