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声嘶力竭 (shēng sī lì jié) — to shout oneself hoarse; to yell until one's voice is gone

Definition

A vivid 成语 meaning to shout until completely out of voice — emphasizes extreme effort and exhaustion, more intense than simply 大声说. Used to describe desperate, heated arguing or cheering.

idiom
to shout oneself hoarseto yell until one's voice is gone

Examples

  • 声嘶力竭，。
    Tā zhàn zài tái shàng shēng sī lì jié dì hǎn, dàn méi yǒu rén tīng jiàn.
    He stood on the stage shouting himself hoarse, but no one heard.
  • 声嘶力竭，。
    Wú lùn tā zěn me shēng sī lì jié dì jiě shì, duì fāng dōu bù xiāng xìn.
    No matter how hoarsely she explained, the other party didn't believe.
  • 声嘶力竭。
    Qiú mí men shēng sī lì jié dì wèi qiú duì jiā yóu.
    The fans shouted themselves hoarse cheering for the team.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

声嘶
声shēngvoice嘶sīhoarse
主谓Subject + predicate
力竭
力lìstrength竭jiéexhausted
主谓Subject + predicate

声嘶 means voice hoarse and 力竭 means strength exhausted; together they describe shouting until voice and strength fail.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
斯
斯sī嘶sī
Same sound today

The shape of 嘶 puts 口 (mouth) next to 斯, which gives the sound.

Open 嘶 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé竭jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

竭 is built from 立 and 曷: 立 carries the meaning part, while 曷 supplies the sound.

Open 竭 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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