欲哭无泪 (yù kū wú lèi) — to be so sad or frustrated that one can't even cry; to be at a complete loss
Definition
Literally "want to cry but have no tears": used for helplessness so deep one is past tears — frustration, not grief. A chengyu, used in writing and emotional speech.
idiom
to be so sad or frustrated that one can't even cryto be at a complete loss
Examples
- ，欲哭无泪。Tīng dào zhè ge huài xiāo xi, tā yù kū wú lèi.Hearing the bad news, he felt so upset he couldn't even cry.
- ，欲哭无泪。Xīn kǔ gōng zuò le yì nián de jiǎng jīn tū rán méi le, zhēn shì yù kū wú lèi.The bonus for a whole year of hard work suddenly vanished—truly heartbreaking.
- ，欲哭无泪。Kǎo shì qián yì tiān fā xiàn kè běn diū le, tā yù kū wú lèi.The day before the exam he discovered his textbook was lost—he was at a complete loss.
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