Definition
费尽心机 is a chengyu meaning 'to exhaust one's mind and energy' — it describes using a lot of mental effort, often scheming or plotting to achieve a goal. It can carry a slightly negative connotation of cunning, but is also used neutrally for sustained problem-solving.
f.e.
to rack one's brainsto exhaust one's mental energy (often for scheming or achieving something difficult)
Examples
- ，费尽心机，。Wèile zhè cì tánpàn, tā fèi jìn xīn jī, zhǔnbèi le hěn duō fāng'àn.He racked his brains for this negotiation and prepared many plans.
- 费尽心机，。Dírén fèi jìn xīn jī xiǎng yào tūpò fángxiàn, dàn zuìzhōng háishì shībài le.The enemy racked their brains trying to break through the defense line, but ultimately failed.
- 费尽心机。Tā fèi jìn xīn jī cái xiǎng chū zhège wànquán zhī cè.He racked his brains before coming up with this foolproof plan.
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