(jiǒng) — (stative verb) hard up, impoverished; (stative verb) awkward, embarrassed, ill at ease

Definition

窘 (jiǒng) covers two related senses: being financially strapped and feeling awkward or embarrassed. Often used in literary or written Chinese rather than everyday speech.

adjective
(stative verb) hard upimpoverished(stative verb) awkwardembarrassedill at ease

Examples

  • Tā zuì jìn shǒu tóu hěn jiǒng, lián fáng zū dōu fù bù qǐ.
    He's been really hard up lately – he can't even pay the rent.
  • Bèi dāng zhòng pī píng shí, tā gǎn dào shí fēn jiǒng.
    When criticized in public, he felt extremely awkward.
  • Zhè ge wèn tí ràng tā hěn jiǒng, bàn tiān shuō bù chū huà lái.
    This question embarrassed him so much that he was speechless for a long time.

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