rotten wood; hopeless case
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
rotten wood; decayed timber
Refers to wood that has decomposed due to age, moisture, or decay. Often collocates with 枯株 (withered stumps) in literary Chinese.
The forest is full of rotten wood and withered branches everywhere.
This piece of rotten wood can no longer be used for carving.
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The wooden piles of that old bridge have already rotted away.
noun
a hopeless case; a good-for-nothing person who cannot be educated or improved
derogatoryFigurative and often derogatory usage comparing a person to rotten wood that cannot be carved. Frequently appears in the idiom 朽木不可雕也 (rotten wood cannot be carved).
The teacher sighed, "This child is simply a hopeless case; no matter how you teach him, he won't learn."
He compared those students who lack ambition to rotten wood and dirt.
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Don't think of yourself as a hopeless case; as long as you work hard, everyone can succeed.