1.
suspicion breeding imaginary fears
A four-character idiom meaning that once you become suspicious, you start seeing threats everywhere; suspicion creates imaginary demons.
疑心暗鬼になって、誰も信じられなくなった。
I became so suspicious that I couldn't trust anyone.
彼女は疑心暗鬼に陥っている。
She has fallen into a state of paranoid suspicion.
疑心暗鬼を生む。
To give rise to unfounded suspicions.
FOUR-CHARACTER IDIOM (四字熟語)
LITERAL MEANING: 疑心 (suspicious mind) + 暗鬼 (demon in the dark) = A suspicious mind sees demons in the dark.
FULL FORM: The complete proverb is 疑心暗鬼を生ず, meaning "suspicion breeds demons in the dark."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 疑心暗鬼になる (to become paranoid/suspicious)
- 疑心暗鬼に陥る (to fall into paranoid suspicion)
- 疑心暗鬼を生む (to give rise to suspicion)
ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS:
- Suspicion breeds monsters
- Fear breeds imaginary demons
- Once bitten, twice shy
USAGE: Describes a psychological state where someone becomes so suspicious that they see threats that don't exist. Often used in interpersonal or organizational contexts where trust has broken down.