Definition
山穷水尽 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'mountain exhausted, water dried up'. It describes a situation where all resources, options, or ways forward have been exhausted, leaving no viable path — equivalent to 'at the end of one's rope' or 'in a hopeless predicament'. Use it to emphasize extreme difficulty, deadlock, or utter desperation, often in contexts of finances, plans, or survival.
id.
to be at the end of one's ropeto be in a hopeless situation with no way out
Examples
- 山穷水尽，。Gōngsī yǐjīng dào le shān qióng shuǐ jìn de dìbù, zhǐnéng shēnqǐng pòchǎn.The company has reached the point of being at the end of its rope and can only apply for bankruptcy.
- 山穷水尽，。Zài shān qióng shuǐ jìn de shíhou, tā dédào le péngyou de bāngzhù.At the moment when everything seemed hopeless, he received help from a friend.
- 山穷水尽，。Jíshǐ miànlín shān qióng shuǐ jìn de júmiàn, tāmen yě méiyou fàngqì.Even when facing a hopeless situation, they didn't give up.
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