Often appears in the phrase 摇尾乞怜 (yáowěi qǐlián) — "to wag one's tail and beg for pity," a vivid image of fawning subservience drawn from a dog seeking favor. Strongly negative; using 乞怜 about someone implies they've lost their dignity.
memory
乞 (qǐ, to beg — same character as in 乞丐 beggar) + 怜 (lián, pity — 忄 heart radical + 令). Literally: "to beg for the heart's pity."
