Chinese word

刺骨

Pronunciation

Pinyincì gǔ

Meaning

  • adjectivebone-chilling

Example

刺骨的寒风让我打了个寒颤。cì gǔ de hán fēng ràng wǒ dǎ le gè hán zhàn

The bone-chilling wind made me shiver.

Illustration for 刺骨 (bone-chilling)

More examples

夜里，刺骨的寒意透进了衣服里。yè lǐ cì gǔ de hán yì tòu jìn le yī fú lǐ

At night, the bone-chilling coldness seeped through my clothes.

Core concept

A forceful sensation seems to pierce through the body and reach the bones, especially cold or pain.

Common phrases

  • 刺骨的寒风cì gǔ de hán fēng

    bone-chilling wind

  • 刺骨的寒冷cì gǔ de hán lěng

    bone-chilling cold

  • 刺骨的寒意cì gǔ de hán yì

    bone-chilling coldness

Similar words

彻骨chè gǔ: Severely cold all the way through the body.
寒冷hán lěng: Cold because the temperature is low, often describing weather or air.
冰冷bīng lěng: Cold and chilled through, with no warmth left.
冰凉bīng liáng: Cool and slightly cold, especially when felt by touch.

Definition in Chinese

表示一种极为强烈、直达骨头的感觉，常用来形容寒冷或剧烈的痛楚。biǎo shì yì zhǒng jí wéi qiáng liè zhí dá gǔ tou de gǎn jué cháng yòng lái xíng róng hán lěng huò jù liè de tòng chǔ

Word origin

刺 (cì, "pierce") + 骨 (gǔ, "bone") creates the image of cold or pain penetrating so deeply that it reaches the bones.

Usage tips

  • Chinese commonly uses this word for physical cold or pain, while English speakers may be tempted to extend similar expressions to fear or suspense.

Other meanings

  • piercingadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word