person or thing on the verge of death or extinction; flickering candle in the wind
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
a person or thing hanging by a thread; a flickering candle in the wind
literaryA metaphor emphasizing extreme fragility, imminent demise, and a precarious existence at the mercy of external forces. Commonly used in literary contexts to describe elderly, sick, or terminally ill people, or endangered species, cultures, or traditions.
Nà那
wèi位
bǎi百
suì岁
lǎo老
rén人
shēn身
tǐ体
xū虚
ruò弱
，
yǐ已
shì是
fēng风
zhōng中
zhú烛
le了
。
That centenarian is very frail and is like a flickering candle in the wind.
Zhè这
zhǒng种
gǔ古
lǎo老
de的
fāng方
yán言
rú如
jīn今
shǐ使
yòng用
zhě者
liáo寥
liáo寥
，
rú如
tóng同
fēng风
zhōng中
zhú烛
yī一
bān般
。
This ancient dialect now has very few speakers and is like a flickering candle in the wind.
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Gōng公
sī司
zī资
jīn金
liàn链
duàn断
liè裂
，
yè业
wù务
rú如
fēng风
zhōng中
zhú烛
，
suí随
shí时
kě可
néng能
xī熄
miè灭
。
The company's capital chain has broken, and its operations are like a candle in the wind, which could go out at any moment.