败笔

敗筆

bàibǐ

noun #29,623

Measure Word

一处败笔 chù

Meanings

1 a faulty brushstroke (in calligraphy or painting)
2 a weak passage in writing
3 a flaw; a blunder

Characters

to fail; to defeat; to spoil

pen; brush; stroke

Examples

这篇文章整体不错，但结尾是个败笔。

Zhè piān wénzhāng zhěngtǐ búcuò, dàn jiéwěi shì gè bàibǐ.

The article is good overall, but the ending is a weak spot.

设计师承认这个配色方案是一个败笔。

Shèjìshī chéngrèn zhège pèisè fāng'àn shì yīgè bàibǐ.

The designer admitted that this color scheme was a misstep.

Tips

history

Originally a calligraphy term for a stroke that goes wrong, 败笔 has extended to any blunder in writing, art, or creative work.

Stroke Order

败 bài

笔 bǐ