窘迫

• Pinyin: jiǒng pò
• Hanzi breakdown: 窘 = 穴 (cave/hole) + 君 (lord) — a lord trapped in a hole; embarrassment; 迫 = 辶(move) + 白 (white/urgent) — pressed and urgent

Meaning

Embarrassed and in a tight spot; in straitened or awkward circumstances.

Describes a state of being both embarrassed and constrained — typically in financial, social, or situational difficulty. Stronger than 尴尬 (awkward) because it implies genuine hardship or entrapment, not just social awkwardness. Often used of economic hardship (经济窘迫) or being trapped in a difficult situation with no easy way out.

Examples

1. 经济窘迫的他不得不向朋友借钱度过这段艰难时期。 In financial straits, he had no choice but to borrow money from friends to get through this difficult period.
2. 她在众目睽睽之下犯了错，神情显得十分窘迫，一时不知所措。 She made a mistake in front of everyone and looked deeply embarrassed, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
3. 这家公司因资金链断裂陷入窘迫境地，不得不紧急寻求融资。 This company fell into a dire predicament due to a broken cash flow and was forced to urgently seek financing.

Usage Guide

Context: financial hardship, social awkwardness, adversity

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他的经济状况相当窘迫，每个月都入不敷出。(His financial situation is quite dire — every month his expenses exceed his income.)
• 她被问到一个完全不知道如何回答的问题，表情立刻变得十分窘迫。(She was asked a question she had absolutely no idea how to answer, and her expression immediately became flustered and embarrassed.)

Don't Say

• 他在派对上玩得很窘迫。(窘迫 implies genuine difficulty or entrapment, not just having a bad time at a party — use 扫兴 or 无趣)

Origin & History

窘 (to be in a tight spot, embarrassed) + 迫 (pressed, forced, urgent). Both characters independently convey the sense of being trapped and pressed. Together they intensify the meaning: hemmed in and desperate.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal