Definition
殚精竭虑 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to exhaust one's mental energy and thought' — to rack one's brains or devote every ounce of mental effort to a task. It's a formal, literary expression, often used in writing or serious speech about planning, research, or problem-solving. The literal components are 殚 (exhaust), 精 (essence/energy), 竭 (use up), 虑 (consideration/thought).
f.e.
to rack one's brainsto devote all one's mental energy and thought
Examples
- ，殚精竭虑，。Wèile zhège xiàngmù, tā dān jīng jié lǜ, zhōngyú zhǎodào le jiějué fāng'àn.For this project, he racked his brains and finally found a solution.
- 殚精竭虑，。Kēxuéjiā men dān jīng jié lǜ, yánjiū rúhé yìngduì qìhòu biànhuà.The scientists devoted all their mental energy to researching how to deal with climate change.
- 殚精竭虑，。Tā dān jīng jié lǜ xiě chū de zhè fèn bàogào, dédào le dàjiā de yízhì rènkě.The report he wrote after racking his brains received unanimous approval from everyone.
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