ngai4 jin4 sung2 ting1危言聳聽危言耸听
Jyutpingngai4 jin4 sung2 ting1
Yalengàih yìhn súng tīng
Definition
To say frightening things just to scare people or cause alarm.
writtencommunicationpeople
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of disapproval, implying that the speaker is deliberately exaggerating potential dangers to manipulate others' emotions. It is frequently used in political or social commentary to dismiss alarmist claims that lack evidence. Unlike simple lying, it specifically targets the creation of panic or anxiety.
Examples
Don't go around fear-mongering and scaring the kids.
Related words
Common phrases
purely fear-mongering
using this to alarm others
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple adjective meaning scary, but it is a verb phrase describing an intentional action. It cannot be used to describe a situation that is naturally frightening, only the act of someone creating that fear.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
