jīng惊alarmedhuāng慌flusteredshī失losecuò措composure
To be alarmed and at a loss; panic-stricken.
Literal meaning
alarmed (惊) — flustered (慌) — lose (失) — composure (措)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a state of extreme anxiety and confusion.
Examples
Tīng听dào到zhè这ge个xiāo消xi息，tā她jīng惊huāng慌shī失cuò措。
Hearing this news, she was panic-stricken.
Miàn面duì对tū突fā发shì事jiàn件，tā他jīng惊huāng慌shī失cuò措，bù不zhī知rú如hé何shì是hǎo好。
Faced with the sudden event, he was alarmed and at a loss, not knowing what to do.
Usage & nuances
Negative connotation, describing a state of helplessness and fear.
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