Definition
瓮中之鳖 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'a turtle in a jar' — a turtle trapped inside a clay pot with no way out. It describes a person or thing that is completely trapped, surrounded, or unable to escape, making capture or defeat inevitable. Use it when someone is caught in a situation with no escape, like a fugitive trapped in a building or a business cornered by competition.
n.
someone or something completely trapped with no way outa sure catch
Examples
- ，瓮中之鳖。Dírén yǐjīng bèi bāowéi le, chéng le wèng zhōng.The enemy has been surrounded and is now trapped like a turtle in a jar.
- ，瓮中之鳖。Jǐngfāng shè xià máifu, xiǎo tōu chéng le wèng zhōng.The police set an ambush, and the thief was caught like a turtle in a jar.
- ，，瓮中之鳖。Tā de gōngsī pòchǎn hòu, zhàiwù chán shēn, jiǎnzhí chéng le wèng zhōng.After his company went bankrupt, he was mired in debt, completely trapped with no way out.
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