Definitions
- 1. to meet with a rebuff
Usage notes
Collocations
碰钉子 is used after verbs like 碰 (pèng), 遇到 (yù dào), 挨 (ái), e.g., 碰了一个钉子 (pèng le yī gè dīng zi) or 碰到钉子 (pèng dào dīng zi), meaning to encounter rejection.
Formality
碰钉子 is colloquial and commonly used in spoken Chinese, whereas 碰壁 (pèng bì) is more formal and literary for 'to meet with a rebuff'.
Example Sentences
1 shown他找工作到处 碰钉子 。
He met with rebuffs everywhere in his job search.
AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.