Chinese symbol for “setback”
挫折
cuò zhé
setback; reverse; check; defeat
The closest CC-CEDICT match for setback is 挫折 (cuò zhé), defined as: setback; reverse; check; defeat; frustration; disappointment.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “setback”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 挫败 (挫敗) | cuò bài | to thwart; to foil (sb's plans); a setback; a failure; a defeat |
| 退步 | tuì bù | to do less well than before; to make a concession |
| 受挫 | shòu cuò | thwarted; obstructed |
| 岔子 | chà zi | branch road; setback |
| 跟斗 | gēn dou | somersault; fall; tumble |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 挫折.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 挫败 (挫敗) | cuò bài | to thwart; to foil (sb's plans); a setback; a failure; a defeat |
| 受挫 | shòu cuò | thwarted; obstructed |
| 重挫 | zhòng cuò | devastating setback; slump (in stock market etc) |
| 下挫 | xià cuò | (of sales, prices etc) to fall; to drop |
| 挫折感 | cuò zhé gǎn | frustration |
| 折磨 | zhé mó | to torment; to torture |
| 折腾 (折騰) | zhē teng | to toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly); to repeat sth over and over again |
| 曲折 | qū zhé | winding; (fig.) complicated |
See also: Japanese symbol for “setback”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.