強弩之末

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 強弩之末. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 強弩之末, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 強弩之末 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 強弩之末 you have here. The definition of the word 強弩之末 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of強弩之末, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Chinese

strength; force; power
strength; force; power; powerful; better
 
cross-bow 's; him/her/it; this end; final stage; latter part
trad. (強弩之末)
simp. (强弩之末)
alternative forms 彊弩之末强弩之末

Etymology

From the Book of Han:

衝風不能毛羽彊弩之末不能魯縞 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
冲风不能毛羽强弩之末不能鲁缟 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Book of Han, circa 1st century CE
Qiě chén wén zhī, chōngfēng zhī shuāi, bùnéng qǐ máoyǔ; qiángnǔzhīmò, lì bùnéng rù lǔgǎo.
(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation


Idiom

強弩之末

  1. (figurative) exhausted strength; spent force; strong force that has been exhausted