硬控 (yìng kòng)

“硬控 (Yìng kòng), Hard Control” originally referred to actions in online games that forcibly prevent a player from controlling their character, such as being stunned, petrified, or frozen. However, its meaning has evolved. Now, it describes something incredibly captivating that you can’t stop watching or doing.

For instance, you might see someone saying, “被美食硬控30分钟 (Bèi měishí yìng kòng 30 fēnzhōng), I’ve been hard-controlled by delicious food for 30 minutes.” This indicates that the person found the food so enticing that they couldn’t stop eating it. Similarly, “被彩虹硬控5秒 (Bèi cǎihóng yìng kòng 5 miǎo), I’ve been hard-controlled by the rainbow for 5 seconds” suggests being mesmerized by the beauty of a rainbow.

This term has become a popular way to express deep fascination or an irresistible attraction to something, be it food, scenery, or even an engaging conversation.

Source: eChineseLearning