Definition
束手无策 (shù shǒu-wú cè) is a vivid idiom meaning 'helpless, at one's wit's end' — it emphasizes being literally 'bound-handed' with no strategy. It is more descriptive and literary than the simpler 无奈 (helpless as a fact), and focuses on lacking a solution rather than the emotional panic of 不知所措 (not knowing what to do) or the desperate situation of 走投无路 (no way out).
idiom
helplessat one's wit's endunable to do anything about a situation
Examples
- ，束手无策。Miàn duì zhège nántí, tā shù shǒu-wú cè.Faced with this difficult problem, he was helpless.
- ，束手无策。Duìyú zhè zhǒng jíbìng, yīshēngmen yě shù shǒu-wú cè.For this disease, doctors were also at a loss.
- 束手无策，。Tā shù shǒu-wú cè, bù zhīdào gāi zěnme bàn.He was helpless and didn't know what to do.
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