穷困潦倒

Traditional form:

窮困潦倒

Pinyin (reading):

qióngkùnliáodǎo

Definitions:

• (idiom) to live in poverty and despair; down and out; destitute and without hope

Characters:

• 穷 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 困 - to surround; to besiege; surrounded, in distress; poor; tired, sleepy
• 潦 - to flood; puddle; dejected, careless
• 倒 - to collapse, to fall over; to lie down

Traditional characters:

• 窮 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 困 - to surround; to besiege; surrounded, in distress; poor; tired, sleepy
• 潦 - to flood; puddle; dejected, careless
• 倒 - to collapse, to fall over; to lie down