Chinese idiom · 成语
殚精竭虑
Meaning
To exhaust mind and thought; total mental devotion.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary argumentThe Ministry of Education dictionary connects this expression with Bai Juyi's introduction to his policy essays, Celin (策林). Bai recalls the Han official Zhu Yun, who clung to and broke a palace railing while being dragged away after outspoken criticism. The emperor later preserved the damage as a reminder of loyal remonstrance.
Bai uses that earlier episode to frame his own duty to offer candid advice, saying he must exhaust his thought and deliberation. His wording is 殫思極慮; the modern expression belongs to the same family of phrases for devoted mental effort.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
为了保住这家小书店，店主殚精竭虑，想了许多办法。
The owner devoted enormous thought and effort to finding ways to keep the little bookshop open.
Emphasizes sustained intellectual and emotional effort, often in service of a valued task.