Definition
This is a four-character set phrase (成语) used to describe a struggle, situation, or process that is extraordinarily difficult and demanding, often with heroic overtones. It emphasizes the extreme nature of the hardship, not just ordinary difficulty. You'll see it in formal or literary contexts, such as historical accounts or descriptions of perseverance.
f.e.
extremely arduous and difficultmarked by exceptional hardship and struggle
Examples
- 艰苦卓绝,。Zài jiān kǔ zhuō jué de tiáojiàn xià, tāmen réngrán jiānchí wánchéng le rènwu.Under extraordinarily difficult conditions, they still insisted on completing the mission.
- 艰苦卓绝。Zhè chǎng zhànzhēng jīnglì le yì bǎi duō nián jiān kǔ zhuō jué de dòuzhēng.This war experienced over a hundred years of arduous struggle.
- 艰苦卓绝。Tā yìshēng dōu zài wèi lǐxiǎng ér jiān kǔ zhuō jué de fèndòu.He struggled with extraordinary difficulty his whole life for his ideals.
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