岌岌可危

jíjí-kěwēi

idiom #14,179

Meanings

1 in imminent danger; on the verge of collapse
2 precarious; perilous

Characters

Examples

公司的财务状况岌岌可危。

Gōngsī de cáiwù zhuàngkuàng jíjíkěwēi.

The company's financial situation is extremely precarious.

他的地位已经岌岌可危了。

Tā de dìwèi yǐjīng jíjíkěwēi le.

His position is already in imminent danger.

Tips

memory

岌 means 'towering and unstable' — imagine a tall rock formation about to topple. Double it (岌岌) for emphasis, add 可危 ('can be dangerous') = a situation teetering on the edge.

Stroke Order

岌 jí

可 kě

危 wēi