‘惊险’ (jīng xiǎn) is an adjective meaning 'thrilling' or 'hair-raising'—describing situations that provoke sudden fear or excitement, often because of danger or uncertainty. The first character 惊 (jīng) means 'to startle' or 'to be shocked', while 险 (xiǎn) means 'dangerous' or 'perilous'. Together, they form a compound that emphasizes the emotional tension of narrowly avoiding harm or experiencing suspenseful intensity.

This word is commonly used to describe movies, sports, stunts, mountain hikes, rescue operations, or even unexpected plot twists. It carries a positive connotation when used in entertainment ('a thrilling chase scene'), but can sound alarming in safety contexts ('an extremely dangerous situation'). Unlike standalone adjectives like 好 (hǎo), 惊险 functions predicatively (e.g., 这很惊险) or attributively before nouns (e.g., 惊险的旅程), and rarely as a verb or noun.