Definition

Noun: - Luxurious living; high living; opulence: Refers to a life of extreme wealth, comfort, and lavishness, characterized by abundant food, servants, and material possessions. The term originates from ancient symbols of aristocracy: the "đỉnh" (a large bronze cauldron for cooking food) and the "chung" (a bell used to summon servants or signal meal times). - Scene of great wealth and nobility: Denotes the environment, status, or condition of being immensely rich and powerful, often associated with feudal or aristocratic households.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sống trong cảnh đỉnh chung. (To live in opulence / a life of luxury.)
  • Gia tộc đó một thời hưởng đỉnh chung. (That clan once enjoyed luxurious high living.)
  • Đỉnh chung là hình ảnh của sự phú quý tột bậc ngày xưa. ("Đỉnh chung" is an image of ultimate wealth and nobility in the past.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is archaic and literary. It is primarily used in historical, literary, or figurative contexts to describe the pinnacle of feudal wealth and extravagance, not modern luxury.
• It often carries a connotation of a bygone era of aristocracy and is used to evoke a sense of historical grandeur or to contrast with present simplicity.

Variants and Related Words

• Phú quý (n): Wealth and high rank; riches and honor.
• Vinh hoa (n): Glory and splendor; prosperity and splendor.
• Xa hoa (adj/n): Luxurious; lavishness; extravagance (more commonly used for modern contexts).

Synonyms

• Opulence: Great wealth or luxuriousness.
• Affluence: The state of having a great deal of money; wealth.
• Sumptuousness: Extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Đỉnh chung phú quý: This phrase reinforces the meaning, translating directly to "the cauldron and bell of wealth and nobility." It is used to emphasize a state of supreme aristocratic luxury.
  • Câu chuyện kể về một thời đỉnh chung phú quý đã qua. (The story tells of a bygone era of opulent wealth and high status.)

1. Luxutious living, high living