窮鼠猫を噛む

Reading

Kana: きゅうそねこをかむ

Romaji: kyūsonekowokamu

Definition

exp

1

a cornered rat will bite a cat; despair turns cowards courageous

Note: idiomatic expression

Kanji

窮

Readings: キュウ、 キョウ、 きわ.める、 きわ.まる、 きわ.まり、 きわ.み

Meanings: hard up, destitute, suffer, perplexed, cornered

鼠

Readings: ソ、 ショ、 ねずみ、 ねず

Meanings: rat, mouse, dark gray

猫

Readings: ビョウ、 ねこ

Meaning: cat

噛

Readings: コウ、 ゴウ、 か.む、 か.じる

Meanings: chew, bite, gnaw

Example Sentence

「そんなに舐(な)められた相手(あいて)じゃないけどなぁ・・・」「そうだよ、窮鼠(きゅうそ)猫(ねこ)を噛(か)むって言(い)うじゃないか」

➥"I don't think she's an opponent you can ignore like that ..." "That's right, they say a cornered rat bites back, don't they?"