mạt lộ
Definition
- Noun:
- Dead end / End of the road: The literal meaning refers to a path or road that has no exit, a cul-de-sac.
- Last resort / Final extremity: The figurative and most common meaning describes a state of being at one's wit's end, having exhausted all options, or being in a desperate situation with no apparent way out.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Công ty đó đã đến bước mạt lộ và sắp phá sản. (That company has reached a dead end and is about to go bankrupt.)
- Trong cơn tuyệt vọng mạt lộ, anh ấy đã tìm đến sự giúp đỡ. (In his desperate last resort, he sought help.)
- Con đường này là mạt lộ, chúng ta phải quay lại. (This road is a dead end; we have to turn back.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in formal or literary contexts to describe a critical, dire situation. It implies a point of finality or desperation.
Variants and Related Words
- Đường cùng (n): A direct synonym meaning "dead end" or "end of the road," often used interchangeably with .
- Họ đã bị dồn vào đường cùng. (They were driven into a corner.)
Synonyms
- Impasse: A situation in which no progress is possible.
- Cul-de-sac: A street or passage closed at one end (literal dead end).
- Last ditch: Referring to a final desperate attempt.
Related Idioms
- Bước đường cùng: Literally "the final step on the road," synonymous with being at the end of one's rope.
- Hắn ta đã ở bước đường cùng. (He was at the end of his rope.)
- Cùng đường lận đận: To be in a state of hardship at a dead end.
- Cuộc đời anh ấy giờ cùng đường lận đận. (His life is now at a difficult dead end.)