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驚心動魄

简惊心动魄 · 繁驚心動魄

Mandarin · pinyin jīng xīn dòng pò

(idiom) heart-stopping; hair-raising; breathtaking

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Characters in this entry

驚: Look up this written character
心: xīn · heart; mind, intelligence; soul; 5th lunar mansion, determinative star α Scorpii (Antares)
動: dòng · move, happen; movement, action
魄: pò · vigor; body; dark part of moon
惊: jīng · frighten, surprise, startle
动: dòng · move, happen; movement, action

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1–4–4 · jing1 xin1 dong4 po4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

驚心動魄 · find source passages ↗ · 惊心动魄 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ging1 sam1 dung6 paak3

Cantonese word readings for 驚心動魄. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) soul-stirring; profoundly affecting

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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