心急如焚 xīnjí-rúfén burning with anxiety; frantic with worry
How to remember 心急如焚: 心 heart + 急 urgent + 如 as + 焚 to burn = burning with anxiety; frantic with worry.
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How it is used
- Vivid idiom: so anxious it's like your heart is on fire - 孩子失踪，父母心急如焚 (háizi shīzōng, fùmǔ xīnjí-rúfén) with the child missing, the parents were frantic with worry.
- Much stronger than 着急 (zháojí); reserved for burning, agonized urgency, often written.
- Interchangeable with 心急火燎; typically a whole-clause description of someone's state.