疲惫不堪

• Pinyin: pí bèi bù kān
• Hanzi breakdown: 疲惫 = deep exhaustion (see above); 不 = negation; 堪 = 土 + 甚 (earth + extreme — to withstand or endure)

Meaning

Utterly exhausted; completely worn out; in a state of total physical and mental depletion that is barely endurable.

不堪 (unable to bear) intensifies 疲惫 to its absolute limit. Used for extreme situations: marathon rescue operations, sustained crises, prolonged illness, or severe emotional burnout. Conveys that the exhaustion has reached the threshold of human endurance.

Examples

1. 救援队员连续工作了四十八小时，个个疲惫不堪，却仍坚持搜寻被困的幸存者。 The rescue team worked for forty-eight straight hours. Everyone was utterly exhausted, yet they still kept searching for trapped survivors.
2. 她拖着疲惫不堪的身躯回到家中，甚至没有力气换下外套，就倚着沙发睡着了。 She dragged her exhausted body home and didn’t even have the strength to take off her coat before she fell asleep leaning against the couch.
3. 面对一轮又一轮的审问，嫌疑人已疲惫不堪，难以组织连贯的回答。 After round after round of questioning, the suspect was completely worn out and struggled to give coherent answers.

Usage Guide

Context: health, emergency, crisis, emotional burnout

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 志愿者们在灾区连续坚守了十天，个个疲惫不堪，但没有一人主动申请撤离，展现出令人动容的奉献精神。(The volunteers persisted in the disaster zone for ten consecutive days and were utterly exhausted, but not a single one applied to withdraw, demonstrating a deeply moving spirit of dedication.)
• 历经数月的高强度备考，他在考试结束那天疲惫不堪地瘫坐在考场门口，久久无法回过神来。(After months of high-intensity exam preparation, he collapsed exhaustedly outside the exam hall on the day of the test, unable to collect himself for a long time.)

Don't Say

• 我昨晚没睡好，今天疲惫不堪 — 疲惫不堪 implies extreme sustained exhaustion; for one bad night use 昨晚没睡好，今天有点没精神 instead

Origin & History

疲惫 (deeply exhausted) + 不堪 (unable to bear/withstand) — so utterly exhausted that one can barely endure it

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal