Gǒu jí tiào qiáng; rén jí xuánliáng.

狗急跳牆, 人急懸梁。

Lit [Just as a] cornered dog [will] leap [over a] wall, [so a] desperate person [will] hang [himself from a] roof beam.

Fig Desperate people will resort to desperate measures.

Note [Rhyme; the first half is sometimes used alone as a chengyu metaphorically; see also zhí xiàng gǎn gǒu below.]

Topics chengyu DESPERATION gǒují-tiàoqiáng