孤注一掷 — “To stake everything on a single venture”
孤注一掷 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to stake everything on a single venture”. To make a last desperate effort or take a final, all-or-nothing gamble in a critical situation. Literally, “solitary bet, one throw”.
孤注一掷 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 孤gū
- 注zhù
- 一yī
- 掷zhì
孤注一掷 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 孤注一掷
Origin and Story of 孤注一掷
In 1003 AD, the Khitan army captured Deqing (modern-day Qingfeng, Henan) and approached Jizhou (modern-day Hengshui, Hebei), reaching Chanzhou (modern-day Puyang, Henan). The Song army was losing ground, and urgent border reports frequently reached the capital. At this time, Kou Zhun (who had served as a county magistrate in Chengan County, Handan City) was the prime minister. Upon receiving the urgent dispatches, he withheld them, maintaining his usual calm and composure without showing any panic.
Emperor Zhenzong Zhao Heng, upon hearing of this, was furious and questioned Kou Zhun: "The military situation at the border is so critical, why did you conceal the information?" Kou Zhun smiled and replied to Zhenzong: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your humble servant has already devised a plan to defeat the Khitan army. If Your Majesty leads the imperial expedition, the enemy will surely retreat without a fight."
In December, Emperor Zhenzong, accompanied by civil and military officials, braved the bitter cold to arrive at Chanzhou. After the Song army was stationed there, Kou Zhun was ordered to manage military affairs. He commanded the troops to rest and await the opportune moment for battle. As expected, a few days later, the Khitan army attacked the city. When the enemy was exhausted, Kou Zhun ordered his generals to strike, decisively defeating a large portion of the enemy forces and forcing them to retreat in haste. From then on, Emperor Zhenzong valued Kou Zhun even more.
Another court official, Wang Qinruo, was jealous of Kou Zhun's achievements. He spoke ill of Kou Zhun before Emperor Zhenzong: "Has Your Majesty ever heard of gambling? A gambler who is losing often stakes all his money as a final bet, which is called '孤注一掷' (gū zhù yī zhì). Kou Zhun repeatedly urged Your Majesty to personally lead the expedition. Didn't Your Majesty become Kou Zhun's '孤注' (sole stake)? Isn't this risking Your Majesty's life?"
Emperor Zhenzong believed the slander and soon dismissed Kou Zhun from his post as prime minister.
Idioms Related to 孤注一掷
Synonyms of 孤注一掷
Antonyms of 孤注一掷
More idioms starting with 孤
- gū孤yún云yě野hè鹤a carefree solitary recluse
- gū孤chóu俦guǎ寡pǐ匹lonely and without a companion or peer
- gū孤ào傲bù不qún群haughty and unsociable
- gū孤ér儿guǎ寡fu妇orphans and widows
- gū孤ér儿guǎ寡mǔ母vulnerable orphans and widows
- gū孤jūn军zuò作zhàn战fight alone without help
- gū孤jūn军fèn奋zhàn战fight alone and unsupported
- gū孤jūn军shēn深rù入advance alone into a vulnerable position
- gū孤jūn军dú独zhàn战fight a lone battle without support
- gū孤jūn军báo薄lǚ旅an isolated and weak force
- gū孤zǐ子guǎ寡fu妇Orphans and widows
- gū孤gū孤dān单dān单alone and without support
Questions about 孤注一掷
- What does 孤注一掷 mean?
- 孤注一掷 (gū zhù yī zhì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to stake everything on a single venture”.
- How do you pronounce 孤注一掷?
- 孤注一掷 is pronounced gū zhù yī zhì in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 孤注一掷 literally mean?
- Literally, 孤注一掷 means “solitary bet, one throw”. It is used to mean “to stake everything on a single venture”.
- Where does 孤注一掷 come from?
- 孤注一掷 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 孤注一掷?
- 把所有的钱一次押上去，决一输赢。比喻在危急时用尽所有力量作最后一次冒险。