Chinese word

走投无路

Pronunciation

Pinyinzǒu tóu wú lù

Meaning

  • idiomhave nowhere to turn

Example

这次失败后，他觉得走投无路。zhè cì shī bài hòu tā jué de zǒu tóu wú lù

After this failure, he felt he had nowhere to turn.

Illustration for 走投无路 (have nowhere to turn)

More examples

公司资金链断裂，项目陷入走投无路的局面。gōng sī zī jīn liàn duàn liè xiàng mù xiàn rù zǒu tóu wú lù de jú miàn

The company's funding chain broke down, and the project ended up in a situation with no way out.

Core concept

Every route closes at once, leaving a person unable to move forward or find help.

Common phrases

  • 使人走投无路shǐ rén zǒu tóu wú lù

    leave someone with nowhere to turn

  • 走投无路的局面zǒu tóu wú lù de jú miàn

    a situation with no way out

Similar words

无路可走wú lù ké zǒu: Being unable to find a way out or a workable path forward.
无计可施wú jì kě shī: Having no strategy or method left to deal with a difficult situation.
山穷水尽shān qióng shuǐ jìn: Being at the end of every possible source of help, with no way to continue.
进退维谷jìn tuì wéi gǔ: Being stuck because moving ahead and stepping back are both difficult and risky.

Definition in Chinese

形容处于无法逃脱或无从应对的困境，既没有逃跑的路也没有依靠的办法。xíng róng chǔ yú wú fǎ táo tuō huò wú cóng yìng duì de kùn jìng jì méi yǒu táo pǎo de lù yě méi yǒu yī kào de bàn fǎ

Word origin

Its four characters create a compact scene: 走 (zǒu, "go") and 投 (tóu, "turn to") suggest movement toward a possible refuge, while 无 (wú, "without") and 路 (lù, "road") remove the way out.

Usage tips

  • The word presents a problem as completely blocked, which makes it stronger than everyday English expressions for simply feeling unsure about what to do.

Other meanings

  • be at one's wits' endidiom
  • be in a desperate situationidiom

Opposites

  • 转危为安zhuǎn wēi wéi ānturn danger into safetyidiom

Word lists with this word