钻牛角尖 zuānniújiǎojiān to split hairs Definitions Defs Origin Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 钻 鑽 zuān verb to enter to make one's way into; to go through or under a narrow space; to thread through牛角尖 niújiǎojiān pointless problem (metaphor) an insignificant, trifling, or unsolvable problem that is not worth pursuing; often used in the phrase 钻牛角尖 zuānniújiǎojiān to mean hairsplitting or overthinking