草木皆兵
- Literal
- grass and trees, all soldiers
- Figurative
- To be so panic-stricken that one sees enemies everywhere; jumping at shadows out of fear.
Where does 草木皆兵 come from?
At the Battle of the Fei River (383 CE), Fu Jian, ruler of the Former Qin, climbed a city wall after an early setback to observe the enemy Eastern Jin army. Seeing their orderly ranks and gazing at Mount Bagong, he mistook even the grass and trees on the slopes for enemy troops drawn up for battle. That dread foreshadowed his crushing defeat.
Source (出处): 《晋书》
How is 草木皆兵 used? Two examples
- 听说小区里出了小偷,她吓得草木皆兵,连风吹门响都以为有人闯进来。
When she heard there was a thief in the neighborhood, she got so jumpy that even the wind rattling the door made her think someone was breaking in.
- 疫情最严重的那段时间,大家草木皆兵,有人咳嗽一声整车厢的人都紧张起来。
At the height of the epidemic everyone was so on edge that the moment someone coughed, the whole train car tensed up.