📖 Meaning
To find a way to survive when in the most desperate and dangerous situation. It describes the moment when all hope seems lost but a path to survival suddenly appears. The idiom emphasizes the unexpected turnaround from certain doom to deliverance.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase derives from a saying recorded in the Ming dynasty work 'Jingshi Tongyan' (警世通言) by Feng Menglong (冯梦龙), in the chapter 'Gui Yuanwai Tuqiong Chanhui' (桂员外途穷忏悔). The original expression used is '吉人天相，绝处逢生' — 'fortunate people are protected by heaven, and those in desperate straits may yet find life.' Over time, '绝路逢生' emerged as a variant, substituting '处' (place/situation) with '路' (road/path) while preserving the same meaning of finding survival at a dead end.
💡 Example Usage
被困山洞三天后，救援队终于赶到，大家绝路逢生。
After being trapped in the cave for three days, the rescue team finally arrived and everyone found life at a dead end.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 绝路逢生
- Pinyin: jué lù féng shēng
- Literal Translation: dead end, encounter, life
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4