半死不活 (bàn sǐ bú) — half-dead; listless; barely functioning
Definition
An idiom for being half-dead or barely functioning — a person drained of energy, a plant on the verge of dying, or a business barely surviving. As vivid as 半途而废 is about quitting midway, this one paints a picture of exhaustion or collapse.
idiom
half-deadlistlessbarely functioning
Examples
- ，半死不活，。Tā bìng le yì chǎng, zhěng gè rén bàn sǐ bú de, yì diǎn jīng shén dōu méi yǒu.He was sick and is half-dead, with no energy at all.
- 半死不活，。Zhè pén huā yǐ jīng bàn sǐ bú le, gǎn jǐn jiāo shuǐ shì shì.This potted plant is half-dead; water it quickly and see.
- 半死不活，。Gōng sī jīng yíng dé bàn sǐ bú, kuài yào dǎo bì le.The company is barely surviving; it's about to go bankrupt.
Appears in
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