📖 Meaning
Refers to having no road left to travel and being trapped in a hopeless situation. It describes reaching a complete dead end with no way forward. The phrase conveys the sense of utter desperation when all options have been exhausted.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase comes from a letter written by Ji Kang (嵇康) of the Wei kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, titled 'Letter Breaking Off Relations with Shan Juyuan' (与山巨源绝交书). Ji Kang wrote to decline an official position that his friend Shan Tao (山涛) had recommended him for, declaring that he knew himself well and could not endure things he disliked. He stated that if the road truly came to an end, then he would simply stop there. The 'Book of Jin' (晋书) records a variant form of the phrase as '道尽途殚'.
💡 Example Usage
公司道尽涂穷之际，他毅然决定变卖资产以求一线生机。
When the company had reached a dead end, he resolutely decided to sell off assets to seek a glimmer of hope.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 道尽涂穷
- Pinyin: dào jìn tú qióng
- Literal Translation: road, exhausted, path, ended
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4