进退维谷 (jìn tuì wéi gǔ) — caught in a dilemma; between a rock and a hard place
Definition
Literary idiom meaning 'in a dilemma', implying both advancing and retreating lead to trouble. Far more formal than the everyday 两难, and stronger than 左右为难 ('hard to choose').
idiom
caught in a dilemmabetween a rock and a hard place
Examples
- ，进退维谷，。Gōng sī cái yuán shí, tā jìn tuì wéi gǔ, jì bù xiǎng cí zhí yòu wú fǎ jiē shòu xīn ān pái.When the company laid off staff, he was caught in a dilemma: he didn't want to resign, but he couldn't accept the new arrangement either.
- ，进退维谷，。Miàn duì zhè xiàng fēng xiǎn jí dà de tóu zī, tóu zī zhě jìn tuì wéi gǔ, bù zhī rú hé jué cè.Faced with this extremely risky investment, the investor felt caught in a dilemma and didn't know how to decide.
- ，进退维谷，。Xiàng mù zhōng tú zī jīn duǎn quē, tuán duì jìn tuì wéi gǔ, jìn dù bèi pò zàn tíng.Midway through the project, funds ran short; the team found itself in a dilemma and work was forced to stop.
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