qióng​kùn

poverty-stricken

qióng​kùn poverty-stricken

  1. qióng adjective
    poor
    poor; impoverished; destitute
  2. kùn adjectivenoun
    distressed
    (bound form) To be in a state of hardship, poverty, or distress; impoverished or difficult.

qióng​kùn in dire straits

  1. hard-pressed
    in a difficult situation; at a dead end; cornered (as in 穷寇 qióng​kòu or 穷途末路 qióng​tú​mò​lù)
  2. to be stranded
    To be trapped, surrounded, or stranded in a difficult situation; to be hard-pressed or hemmed in.