苍白无力

蒼白無力
cāngbáiwúlì
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 pale and feeble
  2. 2 (of an argument, explanation) weak and unconvincing
  3. 3 (of writing) flat and lifeless

Examples

Tā de jiěshì tīng qǐlái cāng bái wú lì, méi rén xiāngxìn.
His explanation sounded weak and unconvincing — nobody believed it.
Miànduì tiě yībān de shìshí, rènhé biànjiě dōu xiǎnde cāng bái wú lì.
In the face of iron-clad facts, any defense looks pale and feeble.
Zhè piān wénzhāng de lùnzhèng cāng bái wú lì, quēshǎo yǒulì de zhèngjù.
This article's argument is flat and weak — it lacks compelling evidence.

Tips

usage
Mostly figurative — for arguments, explanations, defenses, writing, or imagery that fails to convince or move. Less commonly literal (a pale, weak person).
memory
Picture an excuse so weak it's lost the color in its face — 苍白 (pale) + 无力 (powerless). Words with no blood in them.

Stroke Order

cāng
bái