功亏一篑
gōng​kuī​yī​kuì

to fall short at the last minute

  • created reference approved 功亏一篑/功虧一簣 → 功败垂成/功敗垂成 (synonym) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    功亏一篑 / 功虧一簣 gōng​kuī​yī​kuì

    功败垂成 / 功敗垂成 gōng​bài​chuí​chéng

    synonym

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created sense approved 功亏一篑/功虧一簣 · gōng​kuī​yī​kuì · to fall short at the last minute — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    功亏一篑 / 功虧一簣

    gōng​kuī​yī​kuì

    to fall short at the last minute

    to fail to complete a project due to the lack of a final effort; to fall short of success when one is just one step away from finishing. Originally referring to failing to complete a mountain for lack of one final basket of earth.

    gōng​kuī​yí​kuì

    功 (literal) → 功 · gōng · achievement 亏 (literal) → 亏/虧 · kuī · to lack 一 (literal) → 一 · yī · one 篑 (literal) → 篑/簣 · kuì · bamboo basket

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense