刺骨

• Pinyin: cì gǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 刺 = 朿 + 刂 (to pierce); 骨 = bone

Meaning

Bone-piercing; biting; cutting. Describes extreme cold that seems to penetrate to the bones.

Almost exclusively used with cold (寒风刺骨, cold that pierces the bones). Can be used figuratively for sharp, cutting criticism or pain that affects one deeply. The image is of cold or pain reaching one's very bones.

Examples

1. 寒风刺骨，户外的清洁工人依然坚守岗位。 The wind was bone-chilling, yet the outdoor sanitation workers still held their posts.
2. 他跳进刺骨的冰水里，奋力救起了落水的孩子。 He jumped into the bone-piercing icy water and desperately rescued the child who had fallen in.
3. 凌晨三点的山顶寒气刺骨，我们都冻得直打哆嗦。 At three in the morning on the mountaintop, the cold was biting — we were all shivering uncontrollably.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, cold, description

Tone: vivid

Do Say

• 外面寒风刺骨，多穿点再出门。(The wind outside is biting — put on more layers before going out.)
• 那水冷得刺骨。(That water is bone-chillingly cold.)

Don't Say

• 今天天气刺骨温暖 (Contradictory — 刺骨 inherently describes cold, not warmth)

Origin & History

Compound of 刺 (to pierce) + 骨 (bone). Literally 'piercing to the bone,' depicting extreme penetrating cold.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal