垂头丧气

• Pinyin: chuí tóu sàng qì
• Hanzi breakdown: 垂 = 千 + 土 (to hang down); 头 = 大 + 一 (head); 丧 = 亡 + 衣 (to lose); 气 = air/spirit

Meaning

Dejected; downcast; crestfallen. Describes someone who looks dispirited with their head hanging low, as if they have lost all hope or motivation.

A vivid idiom depicting physical posture reflecting emotional defeat. Used when someone appears visibly discouraged after failure, rejection, or disappointment. The imagery evokes a person with drooping head and deflated spirit.

Examples

1. 他面试失败后垂头丧气地回到家，连饭都不想吃。 After failing the interview, he went home dejected and didn't even want to eat.
2. 球队输了决赛，队员们一个个垂头丧气地走出球场。 The team lost the finals, and the players walked off the field one by one looking completely crestfallen.
3. 别因为一次挫折就垂头丧气的，失败是成功之母嘛。 Don't be so dejected over one setback — failure is the mother of success, you know.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, emotional

Tone: sympathetic

Do Say

• 看他垂头丧气的样子，肯定是又被老板批评了。(Seeing him looking so dejected, he must have been criticized by the boss again.)
• 考试没考好不要垂头丧气，下次再努力就好了。(Don't be dejected about not doing well on the exam; just try harder next time.)

Don't Say

• 他垂头丧气地笑着庆祝 (Don't combine with positive emotions — the idiom specifically describes dejection, not celebration)

Origin & History

Classical idiom formed from 垂头 (hanging head) and 丧气 (losing spirit/energy). The combination paints a picture of complete dejection visible in one's demeanor.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal