触目惊心

chù mù jīng xīn

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

Save to list

Definitions

1. lit. shocks the eye, astonishes the heart (idiom); shocking
2. horrible to see
3. a ghastly sight

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial $9.99 / year

Lifetime for $19.99 Try the 30-second demo

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 赏心悦目 shǎng xīn yuè mù 赏心悦目 shǎng xīn yuè mù warms the heart and delights the eye (idiom) 触目惊心 means shocking to see; 赏心悦目 means pleasing to the eye and heart.: warms the heart and delights the eye (idiom)

Related words

2 items

• 惊人 jīng rén 惊人 jīng rén astonishing 触目惊心 is a stronger, idiomatic expression; 惊人 is a common adjective meaning astonishing.: astonishing
• 惨不忍睹 cǎn bù rěn dǔ 惨不忍睹 cǎn bù rěn dǔ lit. so horrible that one cannot bear to look (idiom) Both describe a distressing sight, but 惨不忍睹 focuses on being too horrible to bear looking at.: lit. so horrible that one cannot bear to look (idiom)

Synonyms

1 item

• 骇人听闻 hài rén tīng wén 骇人听闻 hài rén tīng wén shocking Both mean shocking or horrifying, but 触目惊心 emphasizes visual impact, while 骇人听闻 is more about hearing shocking news.: shocking

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not confuse with 触目恸心, which is a less common variant with a slightly different nuance; 触目惊心 is standard.

Formality

Mainly used in formal or written contexts to describe shocking scenes or statistics; less common in casual speech.

Example Sentences

1 shown

那场车祸的现场 触目惊心 。

The scene of that car accident was shocking.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 触目惊心

• 心 心 xīn: heart
• 惊 惊 jīng: to startle
• 目 目 mù: eye
• 触 触 chù: to touch
• 触目 触目 chù mù: to meet the eye
• 惊心 惊心 jīng xīn: staggering