无功而返
wú​gōng'ér​fǎn

to return empty-handed

  • created sense approved 无功而返/無功而返 · wú​gōng'ér​fǎn · to return empty-handed — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    无功而返 / 無功而返

    wú​gōng'ér​fǎn

    to return empty-handed

    (idiom) to return without having achieved anything; to come back from a mission or task unsuccessful

    无功 (literal) → 无功/無功 · wú​gōng · to have no merit 而 (literal) → 而 · ér · [adverbial linker] 返 (literal) → 返 · fǎn · to return

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

    created sense