wúsuǒcuòshǒuzú

无所措手足

Word · IdiomTraditional手足無措

at a loss; don't know what to do

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

1 sense · 3 examples
1.

idiom

to be at a loss; don't know what to do with one's hands and feet; panic-stricken

neutral

Used to describe someone who is nervous, confused, or in a panic and doesn't know how to react. Often used in formal or literary contexts but also common in everyday speech.

Tā他
dì第
yī一
cì次
shàng上
tái台
yǎn演
jiǎng讲
 ,
jǐn紧
zhāng张
de得
shǒu手
zú足
wú无
cuò措
 。

It was his first time giving a speech on stage, and he was so nervous that he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.

Miàn面
duì对
tū突
rú如
qí其
lái来
de的
wèn问
tí题
 ,
tā他
yī一
shí时
shǒu手
zú足
wú无
cuò措
 。

Faced with the sudden question, he was at a loss for a moment.

Show 1 more example
Hái孩
zi子
zài在
shāng商
chǎng场
zǒu走
diū丢
le了
 ,
nà那
wèi位
mǔ母
qīn亲
jí急
de得
shǒu手
zú足
wú无
cuò措
 。

The child got lost in the shopping mall, and the mother was so anxious that she panicked.