愈演愈烈 yùyǎn-yùliè ever more critical
ever more critical; problems get more and more intense
How to remember 愈演愈烈: 愈 to recover + 演 perform + 烈 fiery = ever more critical.
Characters
How it is used
- Idiom for a situation getting more and more intense/out of control - 冲突愈演愈烈 (chōngtū yùyǎn-yùliè) the conflict escalated ever further.
- Almost always negative: used for conflicts, crises, disputes, trends spiraling worse. The 愈…愈… frame means 'the more it plays out, the fiercer it gets.'
- Common in news and commentary register.
Example sentences
- 在这个城市，白人和黑人间的争端愈演愈烈。 Zài zhège chéngshì, báirén hé hēirén jiān de zhēngduān yùyǎnyùliè.The conflict between blacks and whites in the city became worse.