贫无立锥之地 | extremely impoverished, utterly destitute

pín贫wú无lì立zhuī锥zhī之dì地

Extremely impoverished; utterly destitute; having no place to call one's own.

那个家庭遭受变故后，生活陷入困境，真是贫无立锥之地

After that family suffered an unexpected misfortune, their lives fell into dire straits; they were truly without a place to call their own, utterly destitute.

Era:

Ancient

Frequency:

Synonym:

贫无立锥

Antonym:

腰缠万贯

Story:

During the Spring and Autumn period, You Meng, an entertainer in the Chu King's palace, learned that the son of the late prime minister Sun Shu'ao was living in extreme poverty after his father's death.

Feeling uneasy about this, You Meng dressed in Sun Shu'ao's attire, meticulously imitating his voice, appearance, and demeanor, and went to see the King of Chu.

The King, seeing You Meng, was moved by the vivid resemblance to his old minister. Seizing this emotional moment, You Meng recounted how Sun Shu'ao's son was utterly destitute, having 'no place to stand an awl.'

Deeply touched by the story, the King of Chu subsequently re-granted a fief to Sun Shu'ao's son.

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