Definition

1. Verb:
   • To rack one's brains, to think very hard: The phrase "bóp óc" describes the action of thinking intensely, making a great mental effort to solve a problem, remember something, or create something. It often implies a degree of difficulty or frustration in the thinking process.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi phải bóp óc suốt đêm để giải bài toán khó này. (I had to rack my brains all night to solve this difficult math problem.)
  • Anh ấy đang bóp óc nghĩ ý tưởng cho bài thuyết trình ngày mai. (He is racking his brains to think of ideas for tomorrow's presentation.)

Advanced Usage

• "bóp óc suy nghĩ": to think hard, to ponder deeply.
  • Cô ấy bóp óc suy nghĩ tìm cách giải quyết mâu thuẫn. (She is thinking hard to find a way to resolve the conflict.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bóp trán (verb): A near-identical variant meaning "to rack one's brains." The literal image is of pressing one's forehead, indicating deep thought.
  • Nhìn anh ấy bóp trán, tôi biết anh ấy đang gặp vấn đề nan giải. (Seeing him press his forehead, I knew he was facing a thorny problem.)

Synonyms

• Căng não (verb): To strain one's brain. (Informal)
• Vắt óc (verb): To wring one's brain (dry). (Informal, emphasizes exhaustive effort)
• Suy nghĩ cật lực (verb phrase): To think with all one's might.

Related Idioms

• "Đau đầu suy nghĩ": Literally "to have a headache from thinking," meaning to be troubled or stressed by a difficult thought process.
  • Vấn đề này khiến tôi đau đầu suy nghĩ cả tuần. (This problem has given me a headache from thinking for a whole week.)

1. như bóp trán