赶尽杀绝

趕盡殺絕

gǎnjìnshājué

idiom #23,900

Meanings

1 to exterminate completely
2 to wipe out without mercy
3 to show no mercy

Characters

to drive out, to chase

to exhaust, completely

to cut off, to exterminate

Examples

他对待敌人从不手软，总是赶尽杀绝。

Tā duìdài dírén cóng bù shǒu ruǎn, zǒng shì gǎnjìnshājué.

He never shows weakness toward enemies and always wipes them out completely.

你不必赶尽杀绝，留条退路对大家都好。

Nǐ bù bì gǎnjìnshājué, liú tiáo tuìlù duì dàjiā dōu hǎo.

There is no need to be completely ruthless — leaving an exit is better for everyone.

Tips

usage

赶尽杀绝 is used to describe ruthless, total elimination with no survivors or escape. It can describe actual violence or, more commonly, a figurative determination to destroy competition or opposition entirely.

Stroke Order

赶 gǎn

尽 jǐn

杀 shā

绝 jué