力挽狂澜

力挽狂瀾

lìwǎn-kuánglán

idiom #26,165

Meanings

1 to pull strongly against a raging tide
2 to stem the tide
3 to save a desperate situation through great effort

Characters

strength; force

to pull; to draw back

great waves; billows

Examples

危急时刻，他力挽狂澜，拯救了公司。

Wēijí shíkè, tā lìwǎnkuánglán, zhěngjiù le gōngsī.

At the critical moment, he stemmed the tide and saved the company.

没有人能力挽狂澜，阻止这场危机。

Méiyǒu rén nénglì wǎn kuáng lán, zǔzhǐ zhè chǎng wēijī.

No one could turn the tide and stop this crisis.

Tips

memory

力 (strength) + 挽 (pull back) + 狂澜 (raging waves) — imagine physically pulling against a violent ocean current. Used figuratively for heroic efforts to reverse a crisis.

Stroke Order

力 lì

挽 wǎn

狂 kuáng

澜 lán