狼狈

狼狽

láng bèi

HSK 7freq #16266

Meanings

CC-CEDICT

láng bèi

1.in a difficult situation
2.to cut a sorry figure
3.scoundrel! (derog.)

CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA

Wiktionary

1.in an awkward or difficult position; in a tight corner
2.in disorder; in confusion
3.fatigued; exhausted; tired
4.untidy; slovenly; shabby
5.down and out; poor and frustrated in life
6.to collude; to conspire; to gang up
7.to cooperate; to work in coordination
8.to do one's best; to try by every possible means
9.hurriedly; hastily; rapidly
10.wolf and a legendary wolf-like animal with short forelegs and long hind legs
11.evil person

Wiktionary · CC BY-SA

Etymology

An Old Chinese ideophone of the phonetic shape /*raːd(s) paːd(s) ~ *raːŋ paːd(s)/ (ZS), initially used to describe a limping or stumbling gait. Folk etymology (as used by Tang-Dynasty Duan Chengshi) states that 狽／狈 (bèi) was a wolf-like animal in Chinese mythology, which had very short forelegs and long hind legs, and needed to mount a wolf in order to walk, so the two animals would always hunt together. This eventually led to the meaning of “to conspire”.

Wiktionary · CC BY-SA