Definition

Verb: - To grasp tightly; to clutch; to cling to: To hold onto something firmly with the hand(s), often for support, stability, or out of desperation. It implies a tight, sometimes desperate, grip. - To hang onto; to cling to (abstract concepts): Used figuratively to describe holding onto an idea, hope, or person with emotional dependence.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa bé bíu lấy tay mẹ. (The child clutched her mother's hand.)
  • Cô ấy bíu cành cây để leo lên. (She grasped the tree branch to climb up.)
  • Anh ấy bíu lấy hy vọng cuối cùng. (He clung to the last hope.)

Advanced Usage

• "bíu víu": to clutch or cling in a frantic or unsteady manner.
  • Nó bíu víu vào tay vịn cầu thang. (He frantically clutched the stair railing.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bám bíu (v): to cling persistently (often with a negative connotation of dependency).
  • Cậu bé đã lớn nhưng vẫn bám bíu lấy mẹ. (The boy is grown but still clings to his mother.)

Synonyms

• Clutch: to grasp or hold tightly.
• Cling to: to hold on tightly, either physically or emotionally.
• Grip: to take and keep a firm hold of.

Related Idioms

• Bíu lấy như bíu lấy cọc: to cling to something as if it were a life-saving post (to cling for dear life).
  • Trong cơn hoảng loạn, cô ấy bíu lấy người lạ như bíu lấy cọc. (In her panic, she clung to the stranger for dear life.)

verb

1. To grasp
   • bíu cành cây để khỏi ngã
     to grasp a branch to avoid a fall