to what end; where will it stop
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to what end; where will this lead; to what extent (expressing exclamation or despair about a bad situation)
literaryA rhetorical question used in literary contexts to express concern or despair about how far a negative trend will continue. Often used when criticizing corruption, moral decline, or unchecked bad practices.
Fǔ腐
bài败
ruò若
bù不
è遏
zhì制
，
yī一
yú于
hú胡
dǐ底
？
If corruption is not checked, where will it end?
Rú如
cǐ此
míng明
mù目
zhāng张
dǎn胆
dì地
nòng弄
xū虚
zuò作
jiǎ假
，
yī一
yú于
hú胡
dǐ底
？
To falsify so blatantly—where will this lead?
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Huán环
jìng境
wū污
rǎn染
rì日
yì益
yán严
zhòng重
，
ruò若
bù不
zhì治
lǐ理
，
yī一
yú于
hú胡
dǐ底
？
Environmental pollution is getting worse every day; if left untreated, where will it end?