About
The character 狈, with its traditional form 狽, is structurally formed by the dog radical 犭 combined with the phonetic element 贝, which originally represented a cowrie shell and later associated value. Its etymology originates from an ancient Chinese legend describing a mythical wolf-like creature with crippled forelegs that could only move by leaning on a wolf, thereby creating the binome 狼狈 to illustrate a predicament or awkward collaboration. Over time, the literal zoological reference faded, and the character’s meaning shifted entirely to metaphorical uses, now exclusively appearing in idiomatic expressions such as 狼狈不堪, conveying extreme distress, or 狼狈为奸, indicating collusion in nefarious activities, thus marking a transition from a concrete mythical entity to an abstract lexical element describing human states and behaviors.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
今天他很狼狈。
他逃跑时很狼狈。
下雨让他变得狼狈。
他浑身湿透，样子很狼狈。
尽管狼狈，他依然坚持完成了任务。
他从未如此狼狈过，这次真是丢脸。
看到他那副狼狈的模样，大家都忍不住笑了。
在众目睽睽之下，他摔了一跤，显得十分狼狈。