📖 Meaning
Describes a person who is downcast, dejected, and dispirited after suffering disappointment or failure. The character 傫 is an ancient variant of 累, meaning weary or worn down.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记·孔子世家) by Sima Qian of the Han dynasty. When Confucius traveled to the state of Zheng, he became separated from his disciples and stood alone at the eastern gate of the city. A passerby described him as looking weary and forlorn, like a 'mourning family dog' (丧家之狗) whose master was in mourning and thus unable to provide food or care. The commentator Wang Su explained that Confucius, born in chaotic times with his Way unable to be practiced, appeared downcast because his ambitions could not be realized.
💡 Example Usage
考试失利后，他傫如丧狗地走在回家的路上。
After failing the exam, he walked home looking as dejected as a lost dog.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 傫如丧狗
- Pinyin: lěi rú sàng gǒu
- Literal Translation: exhausted like mourning dog
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4