lěng
shuǐ

HSK 7-9
idiom
common

Meaning of 泼冷水

泼冷水 means to pour cold water on; to dampen someone's spirits; to discourage. Pronounced pō lěng shuǐ. HSK 7-9.

  • to pour cold water on; to dampen someone's spirits; to discourage

Definitions & Examples

gāng
chū
chuàng
xiǎng
 
péng
you
jiù
gěi
lěng
shuǐ
 

As soon as he proposed his business idea, his friend poured cold water on it.

Bié
zǒng
gěi
hái
zi
de
mèng
xiǎng
lěng
shuǐ
 
yào
duō
 

Don't always dampen your child's dreams; give more encouragement.

Jīng
de
píng
xiàng
pén
lěng
shuǐ
 
miè
le
tuán
duì
de
xìng
 

The manager's criticism was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the team's enthusiasm.

tài
chōng
dòng
le
 
yào
yǒu
rén
gěi
po
lěng
shuǐ
 
ràng
lěng
jìng
kǎo
 

He's too impulsive; someone needs to sober him up and make him think calmly.