四面楚歌

Etymology
In reference to the :
 * During the,  found himself besieged in the city of Gaixia , by the coalition force of Han and the other kings. Jiujiang fell to Ying Bu and Liu Jia the preceding month, and most of the  was occupied by the Han army. When he heard the besieging troops singing songs in the  accent, Xiang Yu knew his kingdom had fallen.

The situation was also mentioned in 's poem to her husband after his suicide:

Idiom

 * 1) facing hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides

Etymology
, borrowed from.

Noun

 * 1) hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides