‘屡战屡败’ is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means ‘repeatedly fought, repeatedly lost.’ Each ‘屡’ (lǚ) means ‘repeatedly’ or ‘again and again,’ while ‘战’ (zhàn) means ‘to fight’ or ‘to engage in battle,’ and ‘败’ (bài) means ‘to lose’ or ‘to be defeated.’ The repetition of ‘屡’ emphasizes the persistent, unbroken pattern of failure — not just one loss, but many losses across multiple attempts. It conveys deep disappointment, futility, or chronic ineffectiveness.

This idiom is often used with irony or self-deprecating humor, especially in historical or literary contexts — famously attributed to Qing dynasty general Zuo Zongtang, who reportedly revised his subordinate’s report from ‘屡战屡败’ to ‘屡败屡战’ (repeatedly lost, yet repeatedly fought) to highlight perseverance over defeat. Today, it appears in commentary on politics, sports, business, or personal endeavors where repeated efforts yield no success.