Chinese word

摇摇欲坠

Pronunciation

Pinyinyáo yáo yù zhuì

Meaning

  • adjectiveabout to collapse

Example

那座老楼看起来摇摇欲坠。nà zuò lǎo lóu kàn qǐ lái yáo yáo yù zhuì

That old building looks like it is about to collapse.

Illustration for 摇摇欲坠 (about to collapse)

More examples

那座摇摇欲坠的桥梁终于在暴雨中倒塌。nà zuò yáo yáo yù zhuì de qiáo liáng zhōng yú zài bào yǔ zhōng dǎo tā

That bridge, which was about to collapse, finally collapsed in the torrential rain.

Core concept

A thing that sways as its support gives way, with failure or collapse close at hand.

Common phrases

  • 摇摇欲坠的房屋yáo yáo yù zhuì de fáng wū

    house about to collapse

  • 摇摇欲坠的桥梁yáo yáo yù zhuì de qiáo liáng

    bridge about to collapse

  • 摇摇欲坠的旧楼yáo yáo yù zhuì de jiù lóu

    old building about to collapse

Similar words

岌岌可危jí jí kě wēi: In a precarious state with a serious breakdown or failure close at hand.
危在旦夕wēi zài dàn xī: In immediate danger of disaster, with almost no time left before it happens.

Definition in Chinese

形容事物处于极不稳定、很可能马上失败或崩溃的状态，也可用于实物摇晃即将坠落的情形。xíng róng shì wù chǔ yú jí bù wěn dìng hěn kě néng mǎ shàng shī bài huò bēng kuì de zhuàng tài yě kě yòng yú shí wù yáo huàng jí jiāng zhuì luò de qíng xíng

Word origin

The idiom combines 摇 (yáo, "sway") + 欲 (yù, "be about to") + 坠 (zhuì, "fall"), with repeated 摇 adding force to the literal scene of swaying before a fall.

Usage tips

  • The phrase works for both a visibly unsafe building and an organization or plan in serious trouble, so the surrounding noun identifies whether the danger is physical or figurative.

Other meanings

  • precariousadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word