Definition

Verb: - To devour voraciously: To eat something very quickly and greedily, consuming a large amount. This term originates from the imagery of silkworms eating mulberry leaves rapidly and continuously. - To eat to excess: To consume so much of something that it causes physical discomfort or negative consequences.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Gia đình đông con ăn như tằm ăn rỗi. (The large family eats like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves.)
  • Nó ăn rỗi cả hộp bánh. (He devoured the whole box of cakes voraciously.)
  • Ăn nhiều sôcôla đến mức phải nôn ra. (To eat oneself sick on chocolate.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is most commonly and powerfully used in the simile "ăn như tằm ăn rỗi" (to eat like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves). This is the standard, idiomatic expression for describing extreme voracity.
• It can describe consumption beyond just food, metaphorically indicating the rapid and exhaustive use of resources.
  • Dự án đó ăn tiền như tằm ăn rỗi. (That project consumes money voraciously.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn tham (v): To eat greedily.
• Ăn ngấu nghiến (v): To wolf down, to gobble up food.
• Tằm ăn rỗi (n): The core metaphorical image; "silkworms devouring (mulberry leaves)."

Synonyms

• Devour: To eat quickly and eagerly.
• Gorge: To eat a large amount greedily.
• Wolf down: To eat food very quickly.

Related Idioms

• Ăn như tằm ăn rỗi: (To eat like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves). The primary idiom, emphasizing speed, greed, and large quantity.
  • Lũ trẻ về quê, ăn cơm bà ngoại như tằm ăn rỗi. (The children went to the countryside and ate their grandmother's food like silkworms devouring leaves.)
• Ăn đến nỗi ai phải sạt nghiệp: (To eat someone out of house and home). A hyperbolic idiom for consuming so much it ruins the host financially.

verb

1. to devour voraciously
   • gia đình đông con ăn như tằm ăn rỗi
     the large family consumes food like silkworms devouring mulberry leaves
   • ăn nhiều sôcôla đến mức phải nôn ra
     to eat oneself sick on chocolate
   • ăn đến nỗi ai phải sạt nghiệp
     to eat someone out of house and home