引人注目
- Literal
- to draw people to fix their eyes
- Figurative
- Eye-catching and noticeable; striking enough to draw everyone's attention.
Where does 引人注目 come from?
It does not come from a specific tale but is a common set phrase. It is built on two pairs, 引人 ("to draw people in") and 注目 ("to fix the eyes"), so it literally describes something that makes people stare at it. Today it is very common in speech and the press to describe whatever is showy or stands out.
How is 引人注目 used? Two examples
- 她今天穿了一条红裙子,在人群里特别引人注目。
She's wearing a red dress today, and in the crowd she's really eye-catching.
- 这家新开的商店招牌很大,非常引人注目。
The sign of this newly opened shop is huge and extremely eye-catching.