Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Looking worried, anxious: Describes a facial expression or demeanor showing deep thought, concern, or preoccupation, often with a slight frown or distant gaze.
   • Meditative, pensive: Describes a state of being absorbed in deep, serious thought, often quietly.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy ngồi một mình, vẻ mặt đăm chiêu. (He sat alone with a worried/pensive look on his face.)
  • Sau khi nghe tin đó, cô ấy trở nên đăm chiêu suốt cả ngày. (After hearing that news, she became preoccupied/anxious all day.)
  • Nhà triết học có cái nhìn đăm chiêu về tương lai. (The philosopher had a meditative look about the future.)

Advanced Usage

• "trầm tư đăm chiêu": A literary or formal compound phrase meaning deeply thoughtful and pensive.
  • Ông cụ ngồi trầm tư đăm chiêu bên bàn cờ. (The old man sat in deep, pensive thought by the chessboard.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đăm đăm (adj): Describes an intense, fixed, and unwavering stare, often conveying concentration, determination, or strong emotion. While similar, "đăm đăm" focuses more on the intensity of the gaze itself, whereas "đăm chiêu" focuses more on the expression of worried or deep thought.
  • Cô ấy nhìn đăm đăm vào bức tranh. (She stared intently at the painting.)
• Trầm tư (adj): Pensive, contemplative. This word shares the meaning of deep thought but lacks the strong connotation of worry or anxiety that "đăm chiêu" can carry.
  • Anh ấy là người sống nội tâm và hay trầm tư. (He is an introspective person who is often contemplative.)

Synonyms

• Lo lắng (adj): Worried, anxious. This is a more direct synonym for the "worried" aspect of "đăm chiêu."
• Suy tư (adj/v): To ponder, to be thoughtful. This is a synonym for the "pensive" aspect.
• Ưu tư (adj): Melancholy, sorrowful with thought. This implies a deeper, sadder thoughtfulness.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Mặt mày đăm chiêu: To have a worried/pensive face. This idiom emphasizes the expression being visibly on one's face.
  • Sao hôm nay mặt mày đăm chiêu thế? (Why do you have such a worried look on your face today?)

1. Looking worried, anxious