杀人如麻 killing people like hemp
Explanation
形容杀人极多，多得象乱麻一样数不清。
It describes that many people were killed, so many that they are uncountable like a mess of hemp.
Origin Story
话说东汉末年，天下大乱，群雄逐鹿。曹操势力日益壮大，为了巩固自己的统治，他不惜一切代价，采取残酷的镇压手段。他手下那些将领，个个都是嗜杀成性的主儿，在攻城略地的时候，常常屠城掠地，杀人如麻，百姓流离失所，哀鸿遍野。有一次，曹操攻打徐州，城破之后，他的军队在城内大肆杀戮，三日之间，城内尸横遍野，血流成河，百姓死伤无数。曹操虽然表面上是一个雄才大略的政治家，但实际上却是一个冷酷无情的屠夫。他杀人如麻的行为，不仅给自己带来了巨大的声名狼藉，也给后世留下了一笔血债。
During the late Han Dynasty, the country was in chaos, and many warlords were vying for power. Cao Cao's power grew increasingly strong, and in order to consolidate his rule, he spared no effort in using cruel suppression methods. His generals were all bloodthirsty men who often slaughtered cities and plundered resources during their conquests, killing countless people, leaving the people displaced and the land in ruin. Once, when Cao Cao attacked Xu Zhou, after the city fell, his army carried out widespread massacres within the city. Within three days, the city was filled with corpses, blood flowed like rivers, and countless people were killed or injured. Although Cao Cao was a talented politician on the surface, he was actually a ruthless butcher. His mass killings not only brought him a bad reputation but also left a blood debt for posterity.
Usage
作谓语、定语；形容杀人极多，残暴
As predicate and attributive; describes a large number of murders and cruelty
Examples
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他杀人如麻，罪不容诛！
tā shā rén rú má, zuì bù róng zhū!
He killed countless people, his crime is unforgivable!
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这支军队杀人如麻，令人发指。
zhè zhī jūnduì shā rén rú má, lìng rén fā zhǐ
This army slaughtered countless people, which is appalling.