CHENGYU
草木皆兵(cǎo mù jiē bīng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 《晋书·苻坚载记》
MEANING
- Literal
- every bush and tree looks like a soldier
- Figurative meaning
- to be so terrified that everything seems a threat
ORIGIN STORY
After the crushing defeat at Fei River, the fleeing Qin emperor Fu Jian saw soldiers in every tree and bush on Bagong Mountain — his fear had turned the landscape itself into an enemy army.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to jump at shadows”
EXAMPLES
听说有野兽，大家吓得草木皆兵。Tīngshuō yǒu yěshòu, dàjiā xià de cǎo mù jiē bīng.HSK6
Hearing of wild animals, everyone was so scared that each bush looked like a soldier.
地震后他草木皆兵，一点响动就惊醒。Dìzhèn hòu tā cǎo mù jiē bīng, yì diǎn xiǎngdòng jiù jīngxǐng.HSK6
After the earthquake he sees threats everywhere and wakes at the slightest sound.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Note the reading: 皆 is jiē. The fear is extreme and groundless.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01