Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Out of breath: The primary meaning describes a state of being breathless or having difficulty breathing, typically due to strenuous physical exertion, such as running or intense labor.
   • Winded: Describes the condition where one's breathing is temporarily disrupted or labored after a sudden physical effort.

2. Adjective (figurative):

   • Overwhelmed / Exhausted: Used colloquially to describe a state of being mentally or physically overwhelmed by a demanding situation, task, or pace of events, leading to a feeling of being unable to keep up.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Leo năm tầng cầu thang, tôi bạt hơi. (Climbing five flights of stairs left me out of breath.)
  • Sau khi chạy đuổi theo xe buýt, anh ấy đứng bạt hơi. (After running to catch the bus, he stood there winded.)
• Adjective (figurative):
  • Lịch làm việc dày đặc khiến tôi bạt hơi. (The packed work schedule has me completely overwhelmed.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to emphasize the suddenness and intensity of the breathlessness or exhaustion. It can describe the effect of non-physical forces, such as a strong wind (as noted in historical references), but in modern usage, the physical exertion aspect is most common.

Variants and Related Words

• Hết hơi (adj/phrase): A very close synonym meaning "out of breath" or "exhausted."
  • Tập thể dục xong, tôi hết hơi. (After exercising, I was out of breath.)

Synonyms

• Breathless: Lacking breath, gasping for air.
• Winded: Temporarily breathless from exertion.
• Exhausted: Drained of energy, extremely tired.

Related Idioms

• While "bạt hơi" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it is conceptually related to expressions describing extreme effort leading to exhaustion.
• Làm bạt mạng: To work oneself to the bone (implies exhausting labor that could leave one "bạt hơi").

1. Out of breath