Chinese idiom · 成语
如坐针毡
Meaning
Like sitting on needles; extreme unease.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountThe Jin Shu's account of Du Xi, included in the biography of his father Du Yu, records an act of retaliation at court. Du Xi served Crown Prince Sima Yu and repeatedly offered earnest criticism. The prince resented it and had needles put into the felt mat where Du normally sat. When Du sat down, they pierced him and drew blood.
The later idiom turns that painful seat into a comparison for intense unease. Someone awaiting an answer or trapped in an uncomfortable situation may feel unable to settle, as though sitting on needles. The historical account supplies the concrete incident; the familiar four-character wording is a later figurative formulation.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
轮到我上台前的那几分钟，我紧张得如坐针毡。
In the minutes before my turn on stage, I was so nervous I could hardly sit still.
Strong anxiety or discomfort; close to 'on pins and needles.'