走火入魔 (zǒu huǒ rù mó) — Go off the rails and into madness — ori...
To go off the rails and into madness — originally describes a martial artist who loses control of their inner energy and goes berserk during training. Now used to describe anyone who has become dangerously or hilariously obsessed with something.
Example Usage
他迷上了健身，真是走火入魔，每天练五个小时。
He has gone completely off the rails with fitness — working out five hours a day.
Cultural Context
走火入魔 is a key plot device in wuxia stories — it usually happens when a hero practices forbidden techniques or loses emotional control. Jin Yong used it famously in multiple novels. Online, it is applied to any extreme obsession.
Category: daily-life