sit waiting for death; await failure passively
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
to sit and wait for death; to await one's doom passively; to resign oneself to failure without resistance
literaryA four-character idiom (成语) used metaphorically to describe a passive attitude of waiting for failure instead of taking action to save oneself. Often used in contexts of crisis, competition, or survival situations where active measures are needed but not taken.
Wǒ我
men们
bù不
néng能
zuò坐
yǐ以
dài待
bì毙
，
bì必
xū须
xiǎng想
bàn办
fǎ法
tū突
wéi围
。
We cannot sit and wait for death; we must find a way to break out.
Miàn面
duì对
qiáng强
dí敌
，
zuò坐
yǐ以
dài待
bì毙
bù不
rú如
zhǔ主
dòng动
chū出
jī击
。
When facing a strong enemy, sitting and waiting for death is not as good as taking the initiative to attack.
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Gōng公
sī司
bīn濒
lín临
pò破
chǎn产
，
guǎn管
lǐ理
céng层
bù不
néng能
zuò坐
yǐ以
dài待
bì毙
。
With the company on the verge of bankruptcy, the management cannot sit by and wait for failure.
Yǔ与
qí其
zuò坐
yǐ以
dài待
bì毙
，
bù不
rú如
fàng放
shǒu手
yī一
bó搏
。
Rather than sitting and waiting for death, it is better to take a desperate gamble.