死马当活马医 sǐ mǎ dàng huó mǎ yī

fig. to keep trying everything in a desperate situation

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. to keep trying everything in a desperate situation
  2. 2. lit. to give medicine to a dead horse (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
to die; extremely; inflexible
horse; surname Ma
to be; to act as; should
to live; alive; living
horse; surname Ma
doctor; medical; medicine