Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free
Log in

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

at one's wits' end

/æt wʌnz wɪts ˈɛnd/
idiomatic phrase★中级— 束手无策◆成语
◆ 真正含义
形容因无法解决问题或应对困境而陷入极度沮丧或绝望的状态,强调智力或情绪上的耗竭。
¶ 字面意思
处于某人智慧的终点。
字面拆解
at在+one's wits'某人的智慧(复数)+end尽头
◇ 意境
想象一个人的智慧如同一条路,走到尽头再也无法前进,象征无助和绝望。
◈ 使用场景
小李连续几天熬夜准备考试,但成绩仍不理想,感到彻底束手无策,于是决定放弃并寻求其他出路。
◉ 文化注释
该短语源于16世纪英国,反映了西方文化中对‘智慧’和‘理性’的重视。在中文语境中,‘束手无策’或‘一筹莫展’是最接近的对应表达,强调无计可施的无助感。
非正式

由于无法解决问题或应对困境而感到极度沮丧或绝望的状态,常用于形容智力或情绪已耗尽。

After hours of searching, she was at her wits' end and decided to ask for help.

经过数小时的寻找,她已束手无策,决定寻求帮助。

The manager was at his wits' end trying to mediate the argument between his employees.

经理在试图调解员工间的争吵时,感到黔驴技穷。

💡

常用于描述因压力或困境导致的无助感,强调智力或情绪上的耗竭。

搭配

drive someone to their wits' end令某人束手无策be at the end of one's rope山穷水尽(近义短语)

同义词

at the end of one's ropeat the end of one's tetherdesperatehelpless

反义词

composedin controlat ease

相关短语

lose one's mind短语
失去理智或控制
hit the wall短语
达到极限或无法继续
out of options短语
无计可施

💡专业提示

记忆技巧

将‘wits’理解为‘智慧的极限’,‘end’象征‘终结’。想象一个人在绝望时智慧耗尽,如同‘山穷水尽’。

⚡黄金法则

使用场景

该短语适用于描述因问题复杂、资源匮乏或时间紧迫而感到无助的情绪,但不适用于身体上的无助或疾病。

📖词源

该短语最早出现于16世纪,源自古英语‘wit’(智慧、理性)的复数形式‘wits’。‘at one's wits' end’原指智力或理性的极限,后引申为因无法解决问题而感到绝望或无助。

📝用法说明

1. 该短语通常用于描述因长期困境或挫折导致的情绪崩溃,但不涉及身体上的无助。 2. 在正式场合可替换为‘at the end of one's tether’(英式英语)或‘at the end of one's rope’(美式英语)。 3. 避免在轻松或积极语境中使用,以免误解。

单词拆解

at one's wits'
处于某人智慧的极限
phrase
+
end
终结、尽头
noun
英汉词典

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Recent Lookups

The most recent words being looked up. Stay up to date with what language learners are exploring.