芒刺在背
máng​cì​zài​bèi

to be on pins and needles

  • created sense approved 芒刺在背 · máng​cì​zài​bèi · to be on pins and needles — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    芒刺在背

    máng​cì​zài​bèi

    to be on pins and needles

    (idiom) like having thorns and prickles in one's back; feeling extremely nervous, fearful, or uneasy, often due to a sense of being watched or threatened

    芒 (literal) → 芒 · máng · awn 刺 (literal) → 刺 · cì · thorn 在 (literal) → 在 · zài · to be at 背 (literal) → 背 · bèi · back

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense