心灰意冷
心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) literally means “heart ash will cold” and expresses “disheartened and despondent”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: xin hui yi leng, xin hui yi leng,心灰意冷 meaning, 心灰意冷 in english
Disheartened and despondent
Pronunciation: xīn huī yì lěng Literal meaning: Heart ash will cold
Origin & Usage
Commonly used in classical Chinese literature, the idiom 心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) vividly captures the state of being utterly disheartened and losing the will to strive forward. The characters 心 (xīn) meaning 'heart', 灰 (huī) meaning 'ash', 意 (yì) meaning 'will', and 冷 (lěng) meaning 'cold', together paint a picture of a heart turned to ash and a will grown cold. This idiom is often employed to describe moments of deep disappointment or discouragement, where one's spirit and motivation have been severely dampened. In modern usage, it is used to express feelings of despair and resignation, particularly when faced with insurmountable challenges or repeated failures.
Examples
English: "After the disappointing news, he felt utterly defeated and lost all motivation."
Chinese: 在失望的消息后，他感到完全沮丧，失去了所有的动力。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Actions have consequences
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 心灰意冷 mean in English?
心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) literally translates to “Heart ash will cold” and is used to express “Disheartened and despondent”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 心灰意冷 used?
Situation: After the disappointing news, he felt utterly defeated and lost all motivation.
What is the pinyin for 心灰意冷?
The pinyin pronunciation for 心灰意冷 is “xīn huī yì lěng”.