Word Meaning 進退両難

しんたいりょうなん shintairyounan

進退両難 is read as しんたいりょうなん (shintairyounan) and means being driven to the wall.

Meaning

English

being driven to the wall
finding oneself between the devil and the deep blue sea
finding oneself between a rock and a hard place

Reading

Kana

しんたいりょうなん

Romaji

shintairyounan

Stroke Sequence

4 Characters • 44 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N3 Jōyō Grade 6 Yojijukugo ✓ Rank 109206 Priority R

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

進退

しんだい

remaining in one's post or resigning

進退問題

しんたいもんだい

a question of whether or not someone should resign

進退伺い

しんたいうかがい

informal resignation

進退去就

しんたいきょしゅう

one's course of action

進退維谷まる

しんたいこれきわまる

to be driven into a corner

進むも地獄退くも地獄

すすむもじごくしりぞくもじごく

between the devil and the deep blue sea

進退窮まる

しんたいきわまる

to be driven into a corner

一進一退

いっしんいったい

now advancing and now retreating

出処進退

しゅっしょしんたい

staying in one's position or resigning

二進一退

にしんいったい

two steps forward, one step back

挙措進退

きょそしんたい

behavior

寸進尺退

すんしんしゃくたい

one step forward, many steps backward