负隅顽抗 (fù yú wán kàng) — to put up a stubborn resistance (especially when already cornered or doomed)

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to fight stubbornly with one's back to the wall' — to resist desperately even though defeat is certain. Stronger and more literary than everyday 抵抗.

idiom
to put up a stubborn resistance (especially when already cornered or doomed)

Examples

  • ，负隅顽抗，。
    Jǐn guǎn zhèng jù què záo, tā réng rán fù yú wán kàng, bù kěn rèn zuì.
    Despite conclusive evidence, he still put up a stubborn resistance and refused to confess.
  • ，负隅顽抗。
    Dí rén yǐ jīng dàn jìn liáng jué, què hái zài fù yú wán kàng.
    The enemy had run out of ammunition and food, yet they were still putting up a stubborn resistance.
  • ，负隅顽抗，。
    Zài tán pàn zhōng, duì fāng fù yú wán kàng, bù kěn zuò chū rèn hé ràng bù.
    During the negotiations, the other side put up a stubborn resistance and refused to make any concessions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

负隅lean on a corner
负fùlean on隅yúcorner
动宾Verb + object
顽抗stubborn resistance
顽wánstubborn抗kàngresist
偏正Modifier + head

Stubborn resistance that clings to a corner depicts desperate, entrenched defiance.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

Open 负 →

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
𨸏𨸏𨸏mound
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú隅yú
Same sound today

隅 is built from 𨸏, a mound, plus 禺, which points to the sound yú.

Open 隅 →

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 頑; 顽 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán頑wán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 頑, 元 gave the sound and 頁 showed 'head'; the sense was 'a stubborn head'.

Open 顽 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
亢
亢kàng抗kàng
Same sound today

抗 is made from 扌, a written form of 手 (hand), and 亢, which gives the sound.

Open 抗 →

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