Definition
拖垮 is a resultative verb (动结式) formed from 拖 'to drag' and 垮 'to collapse'. It means to wear someone down or exhaust them to the point of breakdown, often through sustained pressure, overwork, or hardship. It is commonly used in the 把 construction (把 + object + 拖垮) or in passive sentences with 被. The focus is on the process of gradually causing collapse, not a sudden event.
r.v.
to wear downto exhaustto cause to collapse (from prolonged strain or pressure)
Examples
- 拖垮。Chángqī jiābān zhōngyú tuō kuǎ le tā de shēntǐ.Long-term overtime finally wore down his health.
- 拖垮。Zhè chǎng jīngjì wēijī tuō kuǎ le bùshǎo zhōngxiǎo qǐyè.This economic crisis brought down many small and medium enterprises.
- 拖垮，。Bié ràng gōngzuò yālì tuō kuǎ nǐ, yào xuéhuì fàngsōng.Don't let work pressure wear you down; learn to relax.
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