穷于应付

Traditional form:

窮於應付

Pinyin (reading):

qióngyúyìngfù

Definitions:

• to struggle to cope (with a situation)
• to be at one's wits' end

Characters:

• 穷 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 于 - at, in, on; to, from; alas!
• 应 - should, must; to respond, to handle; to deal with, to cope
• 付 - give, deliver, pay, hand over; entrust

Traditional characters:

• 窮 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 於 - at, in, on; to, from; alas!
• 應 - should, must; to respond, to handle; to deal with, to cope
• 付 - give, deliver, pay, hand over; entrust