hanging by a thread; lingering faintly
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesidiom
hanging by a thread; extremely precarious; in a critical situation
literaryUsed to describe a situation that is very fragile or on the brink of collapse.
Zài在
dí敌
jūn军
chóng重
chóng重
bāo包
wéi围
xià下
，
chéng城
chí池
de的
fáng防
yù御
yǐ已
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
。
Under the heavy siege of the enemy, the city's defense is hanging by a thread.
Nà那
jiā家
gōng公
sī司
de的
zī资
jīn金
liàn链
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
，
bīn濒
lín临
pò破
chǎn产
。
The company's capital chain is extremely precarious, on the verge of bankruptcy.
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Zhè这
chǎng场
tán谈
pàn判
de的
hé和
píng平
xī希
wàng望
yǐ已
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
。
The hope for peace in these negotiations is hanging by a thread.
idiom
lingering faintly; threadlike and continuous (of sound)
literaryUsed to describe a faint, thin, yet continuous sound, often with a poetic or melancholic quality.
Yuǎn远
chù处
chuán传
lái来
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
de的
dí笛
shēng声
，
sì似
yǒu有
ruò若
wú无
。
From afar came the faint, lingering sound of a flute, as if it were there, yet not.
Tā她
nà那
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
de的
gē歌
shēng声
，
zài在
yè夜
kōng空
zhōng中
jiǔ久
jiǔ久
huí回
dàng荡
。
Her faint, lingering singing voice echoed for a long time in the night sky.
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Gǔ古
lǎo老
de的
qín琴
yīn音
bù不
jué绝
rú如
lǚ缕
，
sù诉
shuō说
zhe着
qiān千
nián年
de的
āi哀
chóu愁
。
The ancient zither's sound lingered faintly, telling tales of a thousand years of sorrow.