不絕如縷

简 不绝如缕 · 繁 不絕如縷
Mandarin · pinyin bù jué rú lǚ

Meanings

  1. hanging by a thread
  2. very precarious
  3. almost extinct
  4. (of sound) linger on faintly
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Characters in this entry

不
bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
絕
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如
rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
縷
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绝
jué · to cut, sever, break off, terminate
缕
lǚ · thread; detailed, precise
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–2–3 · bu4 jue2 ru2 lu:3

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 zyut6 jyu4 leoi5

Cantonese word readings for 不絕如縷. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

bat1 zyut6 jyu4 leoi5

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) in a desperate situation
  2. (of sounds) faint and long
  3. (proscribed) to be continuous; to be unceasing

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

不絕如縷 · bu4 jue2 ru2 lu:3
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 2,784
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record不絕如縷 不绝如缕 [bu4 jue2 ru2 lu:3] /hanging by a thread/very precarious/almost extinct/(of sound) linger on faintly/