Meaning of 窮鼠(きゅうそ) in Japanese

Reading and JLPT level 窮鼠

Kana Reading きゅうそ

Romaji kyūso

Examples of 窮鼠, きゅうそ in a sentence

窮鼠猫をかむ。

A cornered rat will bite a cat.
あいつ追いつめられたら何するか分からないぞ。窮鼠猫を噛むってこともあるからな。気を付けるに越したことはない。

I wouldn't push him too far. You don't know what he might do. I'd say you can't be too careful. They say even a doomed mouse will bite a cat if he has no choice.

窮 JLPT 1

15 strokes

hard up, destitute, suffer, perplexed, cornered

On'Yomi: キュウ, キョウ

Kun'Yomi: きわ.める, きわ.まる, きわ.まり, きわ.み

鼠

13 strokes

rat, mouse, dark gray

On'Yomi: ソ, ショ

Kun'Yomi: ねずみ, ねず

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