防不胜防

防不勝防
fángbùshèngfáng
idiom #43,442

Meanings

  1. 1 impossible to guard against (idiom)
  2. 2 there is no way to prevent it
  3. 3 you can't defend against everything

Examples

Wǎngluò zhàpiàn shǒuduàn céngchūbùqióng, ràng rén fángbùshèngfáng.
Online scams keep evolving — you just can't guard against them all.
Tā de jìngōng sùdù kuài, duìshǒu fángbùshèngfáng.
His attacks are so fast his opponents can't keep up defensively.
Chūntiān de huāfěn guòmǐn ràng rén fángbùshèngfáng.
Spring pollen allergies are impossible to avoid.

Tips

grammar
here means 'to bear / to handle fully' (same as in 不胜枚举). Literal reading: 'guarding against it is more than guarding can bear' — the defenses can't keep up with the attacks.
usage
Often follows or 令人. Used for anything that comes at you from too many angles: scams, sneak attacks, bad luck, allergens.

Stroke Order

fáng
shèng