困窘

kùnjiǒng

adjective #30,369

Meanings

1 embarrassed
2 in an awkward predicament
3 in difficult straits

Characters

trapped; difficult

embarrassed; in a tight spot

Examples

他被问得很困窘。

Tā bèi wèn de hěn kùnjiǒng.

He was very embarrassed by the question.

面对突如其来的批评，她显得十分困窘。

Miànduì tūrúqílái de pīpíng, tā xiǎnde shífēn kùnjiǒng.

Faced with the sudden criticism, she looked extremely awkward.

公司财务困窘。

Gōngsī cáiwù kùnjiǒng.

The company is in financial straits.

Tips

usage

困窘 covers two adjacent meanings: emotional embarrassment / awkwardness (paralleling 尴尬 gāngà) AND material hardship / being stuck (paralleling 困境 kùnjìng). Context disambiguates.

memory

困 (trapped, like a tree 木 in an enclosure 囗) + 窘 (embarrassed, with 穴 cave on top — squeezed in a tight spot). Together: trapped in an embarrassing tight spot.

Stroke Order

困 kùn

窘 jiǒng