Meaning and Usage
"挫败" (cuòbài) means to frustrate or thwart someone's plans or efforts, often implying a sense of failure or setback. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe situations where goals are blocked or defeated.
Common Contexts
This word frequently appears in discussions about competition, challenges, or personal struggles. For example, a business plan can be "挫败" by rivals, or a person can feel "挫败" after failing an exam.
Collocations and Patterns
- 挫败计划 (cuòbài jìhuà): to thwart a plan
- 感到挫败 (gǎndào cuòbài): to feel frustrated or defeated
- 遭到挫败 (zāodào cuòbài): to suffer a setback
Nuances
Using "挫败" often conveys a stronger sense of being blocked or defeated compared to simply "失败" (failure). It emphasizes the frustration and emotional impact of the failure. Avoid confusing it with "失败" which is more neutral and can refer simply to failing without the emotional nuance.
Tone and Register
"挫败" is neutral to formal and suitable for written and spoken Chinese. It is appropriate in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation when discussing setbacks.