dāng​tóu​bàng​hè

a sharp warning

Senses

当头棒喝/ 當頭棒喝 dāng​tóu​bàng​hè a sharp warning

a blow to the head and a loud shout; originally a Zen Buddhist practice to jolt students into enlightenment, now used to describe a sharp warning or a stunning blow that makes someone wake up to reality

References

see 棒喝/棒喝 当头棒喝/當頭棒喝
synonym 迎头棒喝/迎頭棒喝 当头棒喝/當頭棒喝