走投无路 — “Have no way out”
走投无路 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “have no way out”. Be in an impasse; be driven to desperation; be at one's wits' end. Literally, “have nowhere to go or turn; no road to walk, no place to seek refuge”.
走投无路 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 走zǒu
- 投tóu
- 无wú
- 路lù
走投无路 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 走投无路
Origin and Story of 走投无路
The idiom "走投无路" originates from the Yuan Dynasty drama "Xiao Xiang Yu" (《潇湘雨》, "Rain in the Xiao and Xiang Rivers"). The play tells the story of Cui Tong, a scholar who, after becoming the top scholar (Zhuangyuan), cruelly abandoned his former wife, Zhang Cuiluan, and married the daughter of a high-ranking official.
Zhang Cuiluan embarked on an arduous journey to find her husband. When she finally reached Cui Tong's official residence, instead of acknowledging her, Cui Tong falsely accused her of being a runaway servant, had her sentenced, and ordered her exile to Shamen Island, secretly planning to have her killed during the journey.
One night, while staying at the Linjiang Posthouse, Zhang Cuiluan wept bitterly over her plight. Her cries were overheard by a high-ranking official, Zhang Tianjue, who happened to be her father, whom she had been separated from for many years. Recognizing his daughter's voice, Zhang Tianjue, now a powerful anti-corruption commissioner, discovered the truth and rectified the injustice.
In the play, Zhang Cuiluan lamented her desperate situation with the line, "The rain drenches me, leaving me no way out; who knows what kind of hell Shamen Island is?" This vividly described her feeling of being utterly without recourse.
Idioms Related to 走投无路
Synonyms of 走投无路
Antonyms of 走投无路
More idioms starting with 走
- zǒu走xià下pō坡lù路to decline or deteriorate
- zǒu走wán丸nì逆bǎn坂pursue a goal counterproductively
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上zhāo着retreat is the best strategy
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上cè策Running away is the best strategy
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上jì计retreat is the best strategy
- zǒu走xiāng乡suí随xiāng乡When in Rome, do as the Romans do
- zǒu走le了hé和shang尚zǒu走bù不le了miào庙You can't escape your responsibilities
- zǒu走qīn亲fǎng访yǒu友visit relatives and friends
- zǒu走fú伏wú无dì地nowhere to hide
- zǒu走nán南chuǎng闯běi北travel extensively, experiencing many places
- zǒu走jí及bēn奔mǎ马run as fast as a galloping horse
- zǒu走hòu后mén门gain advantage through favoritism
Questions about 走投无路
- What does 走投无路 mean?
- 走投无路 (zǒu tóu wú lù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “have no way out”.
- How do you pronounce 走投无路?
- 走投无路 is pronounced zǒu tóu wú lù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 走投无路 literally mean?
- Literally, 走投无路 means “have nowhere to go or turn; no road to walk, no place to seek refuge”. It is used to mean “have no way out”.
- Where does 走投无路 come from?
- 走投无路 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 走投无路?
- 投：投奔。无路可走，已到绝境。比喻处境极困难，找不到出路。