一败如水 yī bài rú shuǐ A defeat like water

Explanation

形容军队打了大败仗，像水泼到地上那样不可收拾。

Describes a disastrous military defeat, as unstoppable as water spilled on the ground.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，蜀汉丞相诸葛亮率领大军北伐曹魏，双方在五丈原激战。蜀军初战告捷，士气高昂。然而，魏军主将司马懿却以逸待劳，巧妙运用兵法，使得蜀军屡战屡败。最终，蜀军在一次关键战役中惨败，兵败如山倒，溃不成军。诸葛亮看着溃逃的士兵，如同决堤之水，一发不可收拾，心中充满了悲痛与无奈，他知道这场战争已经注定失败。他知道，此次北伐，一败如水，再无翻盘的可能。蜀军将士逃散各地，原本气势如虹的军队瞬间土崩瓦解，士气低落到极点。这场战役的失败，不仅是对蜀汉政权的一次重大打击，也预示着诸葛亮北伐大业的彻底失败。

huà shuō sān guó shí qī, shǔ hàn chéng xiàng zhū gě liàng shuài lǐng dà jūn běi fá cáo wèi, shuāng fāng zài wǔ zhàng yuán jī zhàn. shǔ jūn chū zhàn gào jié, shì qì gāo áng. rán ér, wèi jūn zhǔ jiāng sī mǎ yì què yǐ yì dài láo, qiǎo miào yòng yùn bīng fǎ, shǐ de shǔ jūn lǚ zhàn lǚ bài. zuì zhōng, shǔ jūn zài yī cì guān jiàn zhàn yì zhōng cǎn bài, bīng bài rú shān dào, kuì bù chéng jūn. zhū gě liàng kàn zhe kuì táo de bīng shì, rú tóng jué dī zhī shuǐ, yī fā bù kě shōu shì, xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le bēi tòng yǔ wú nài, tā zhī dào zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng yǐ jīng zhù dìng shī bài. tā zhī dào, cǐ cì běi fá, yī bài rú shuǐ, zài wú fān pán de kě néng. shǔ jūn jiàng shì táo sàn gè dì, yuán běn qì shì rú hóng de jūn duì shùn jiān tǔ bēng wǎ jiě, shì qì dī luò dào jí diǎn. zhè chǎng zhàn yì de shī bài, bù jǐn shì duì shǔ hàn zhèng quán de yī cì zhòng dà dǎ jī, yě yù shì zhe zhū gě liàng běi fá dà yè de chè dǐ shī bài

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the chancellor of Shu Han, led a large army on a northern expedition against Cao Wei. The two sides fought a fierce battle at Wuzhangyuan. Initially, the Shu army won a victory, raising morale high. However, Sima Yi, the commander of the Wei army, skillfully used military tactics and took advantage of his rest, leading the Shu army to suffer repeated defeats. Eventually, the Shu army suffered a disastrous defeat in a key battle. The fleeing soldiers were like water breaking through a dam, unstoppable. Zhuge Liang watched this rout with sorrow and helplessness, realizing the war was lost. He understood that this expedition was a complete failure, and there was no chance of recovery.

Usage

用于形容军队彻底失败，不可挽回的局面。

yòng yú xíng róng jūn duì chè dǐ shī bài, bù kě wǎn huí de jú miàn

Used to describe a complete and irreversible military defeat.

Examples

• 这一仗打得一败如水，全军覆没。

  zhè yī zhàng dǎ de yī bài rú shuǐ, quán jūn fù mò

  This battle was a complete rout, the entire army was annihilated.

• 敌军势如破竹，我军一败如水，损失惨重。

  dí jūn shì rú pò zhú, wǒ jūn yī bài rú shuǐ, sǔn shī cǎn zhòng

  The enemy troops were unstoppable, our army was completely defeated and suffered heavy losses.

Related Idioms

• 一败涂地

• 溃不成军

• 全军覆没

Opposite Idioms

• 旗开得胜

• 大获全胜

• 出奇制胜