How to Write 瘁 (cuì) — Meaning “overworked; weary; distressed”

Picture a soldier (卒) lying on a sickbed (疒) because he is exhausted from fighting. The soldier has pushed himself to the point of collapse, so 瘁 means "completely worn out."

The radical 疒 has a dot on top, then a left-slanting stroke — do not make it too wide. The inside 卒 has a balanced structure: the top part (亠) is narrow, and the bottom ten strokes (十 from 从?) need to fit neatly under the sickness radical, not extend beyond it.

瘁 (cuì) means exhausted from overwork, while 疵 (cī) means a flaw or blemish, and 痊 (quán) means fully recovered from illness. Visually, 瘁 has the inner part 卒 (soldier), 疵 has 此 (this), and 痊 has 全 (complete).

瘁 appears in formal phrases like 鞠躬尽瘁 (to give one's all until death) and 心力交瘁 (mentally and physically exhausted). These are often used in speeches, literature, or respectful contexts to describe extreme dedication or burnout.

Common words containing 瘁 include: 心力交瘁 (xīn lì jiāo cuì) — mentally and physically exhausted; 鞠躬尽瘁 (jū gōng jìn cuì) — To give one's all until death; 劳瘁 (láo cuì) — Exhausted from overwork.