Meaning
This classical idiom literally means 'the sun sets and the road ends,' describing a situation where someone has exhausted all options and faces a hopeless predicament. It conveys both temporal urgency (daylight is running out) and spatial limitation (the path has ended), creating a powerful metaphor for desperate circumstances with no visible solution.
Usage
This is a literary chengyu typically used in formal writing, speeches, or dramatic contexts to describe serious predicaments. It often appears when describing historical events, political or military defeats, or personal crises. Native speakers recognize it as classical and relatively formal; it would sound overly dramatic in casual conversation.
Examples
- 01这家公司因为管理不善，现在已经日暮途穷，濒临破产。, , .Due to poor management, this company is now at the end of its rope and on the verge of bankruptcy.
- 02敌军被我军包围，日暮途穷，只能选择投降。, , .The enemy forces, surrounded by our troops and in a desperate situation, had no choice but to surrender.
Characters
Antonyms
Origin
This chengyu originates from the Warring States period text 'Strategies of the Warring States' (战国策). It was used to describe a desperate military situation where retreat was impossible and defeat seemed inevitable.