Nuance Dictionary / Overwhelm & Struggle
안간힘을 쓰다 an-gan-him-eul sseu-da
To strain with every last bit of effort you have
What does 안간힘을 쓰다 mean?
안간힘을 쓰다 (an-gan-him-eul sseu-da) means: To strain with every last bit of effort you have.
This phrase is for the effort itself, not the outcome. A student failing a class but still showing up to every extra study session is '안간힘을 쓰다' — visibly straining, whether or not it works out.
🎙️ 안간힘을 쓰다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [안간히믈 쓰다]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 이번 시험에 붙으려고 아주 안간힘을 쓰는 중이야.
ibeon siheome buteuryego aju anganhimeul sseuneun jungiya.
I'm straining with every last bit of my strength to pass this exam.
💡 Focuses on the desperate, grinding process. - 경기가 안 좋아서 버텨보려고 안간힘을 쓰고 있어요.
gyeonggiga an johaseo beotyeoboryego anganhimeul sseugo isseoyo.
Things are bad economically, so we're fighting with all our might just to hang on.
💡 Commonly used in survival or crisis contexts. - 차가 웅덩이에 빠져서 빠져나오려고 안간힘을 썼지만 소용없었다.
chaga ungdeongie ppajyeoseo ppajyeonaoryeogo anganhimeul sseotjiman soyongeopseotda.
I strained with all my might to get the car out of the puddle, but it was no use.
💡 Describes putting in maximum physical or mental effort against a tough obstacle.
Related words in Overwhelm & Struggle
눈코 뜰 새 없다 nun-ko tteul sae eop-da기진맥진하다 gi-jin-maek-jin-ha-da버겁다 beo-geop-da지치다 ji-chi-da부담스럽다 bu-dam-seu-reop-da