竭尽全力

• Pinyin: jié jìn quán lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 竭 = 立 + 曷 — to exhaust; 尽 = to exhaust; 全 = complete; 力 = strength

Meaning

To spare no effort; to do one's utmost. Exhausting all of one's strength and resources.

An emphatic idiom expressing maximum effort without holding anything back. More formal and emphatic than 尽力. Often used in serious contexts like sports, work challenges, or life struggles.

Examples

1. 医生们竭尽全力抢救伤员，但还是没能挽回他的生命。 The doctors spared no effort to save the injured, but still couldn't save his life.
2. 为了实现梦想，她竭尽全力地努力着。 To achieve her dream, she is giving it her all.
3. 公司竭尽全力争取这个项目，最终成功中标。 The company made every effort to win this project and finally succeeded in winning the bid.

Usage Guide

Context: determination, achievement, crisis

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 我会竭尽全力帮助你。(I will do my utmost to help you.)
• 他们竭尽全力完成了任务。(They spared no effort to complete the mission.)

Don't Say

• 用'竭尽全力'形容日常小事 (Don't use 竭尽全力 for trivial daily tasks — it's for significant challenges requiring maximum effort)

Origin & History

A classical idiom: 竭尽 (to exhaust completely) + 全力 (all strength). The redundancy emphasizes the completeness of the effort.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal