火烧眉毛 fire burning eyebrows
Explanation
比喻事情紧急到了极点，刻不容缓。
It is a metaphor for a situation where things are extremely urgent and cannot be delayed.
Origin Story
从前，在一个偏僻的小山村里，住着一位名叫李大壮的农夫。他家境贫寒，靠着几亩薄田艰难地维持生计。有一天，一场突如其来的大火迅速蔓延到他家的房屋附近，眼看着火舌就要舔舐到他的房屋，李大壮惊慌失措，赶紧找来水桶和水瓢，奋力扑救。然而，火势凶猛，眼看着就要烧到他的眉毛了，李大壮心中充满了恐惧和绝望。他从未经历过如此危急的时刻，他拼命地泼水，但是火势仍然没有减弱，甚至更加猛烈。村民们闻讯赶来帮忙，大家齐心协力，终于将大火扑灭。李大壮的家虽然受损严重，但总算保住了性命。这次经历让李大壮终生难忘，他深刻地体会到“火烧眉毛”的含义。从此以后，他更加珍惜生活，更加努力地工作，以避免类似的灾难再次发生。
Once upon a time, in a remote mountain village, there lived a poor farmer named Li Dazhuang. He lived a hard life on a few small plots of land. One day, a sudden fire spread rapidly towards his house. Seeing the flames approaching, Li Dazhuang panicked, quickly grabbing buckets and dippers, desperately fighting the fire. However, the fire was fierce, and it was about to burn his eyebrows. Li Dazhuang was filled with fear and despair. He had never experienced such a dangerous moment. He poured water desperately, but the fire still wouldn't weaken, and even grew more intense. The villagers rushed to help, and together they finally put out the fire. Though his house was badly damaged, Li Dazhuang survived. This experience was unforgettable for Li Dazhuang. He deeply understood the meaning of "fire burning his eyebrows". From then on, he cherished life more and worked harder to avoid similar disasters.
Usage
常用作谓语、宾语、定语；多用于口语。
It is often used as a predicate, object, or attributive; mostly in spoken language.
Examples
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眼看着就要考试了，他却还在玩游戏，真是火烧眉毛了。
yǎn kànzhe jiù yào kǎoshì le, tā què hái zài wán yóuxì, zhēnshi huǒ shāo méi máo le
He's still playing games when the exam is just around the corner! It's a real emergency.
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这次项目已经到了火烧眉毛的地步，必须马上加班完成。
zhè cì xiàngmù yǐjīng dàole huǒ shāo méi máo de dìbù, bìxū mǎshàng jiā bān wánchéng
This project is already at the point of crisis, we must work overtime immediately.
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时间紧迫，已经火烧眉毛了，大家加把劲儿！
shíjiān jǐnpò, yǐjīng huǒ shāo méi máo le, dàjiā jiā bǎ jìn er
Time is pressing, the situation is urgent, let's all work hard!