Definition

Adjective: Expressing or evoking profound sorrow, grief, or tragedy; deeply mournful, poignant, or lamentable. It describes a state, sound, or atmosphere of intense sadness, often with a sense of tragic beauty or solemnity.

Usage

This adjective is used to describe situations, sounds, emotions, or artistic expressions that are deeply sorrowful or tragic. It conveys a stronger, more literary, and often more aesthetic sense of grief than everyday words for sadness.

Examples

• (A doleful / mournful lament rose in the night.)
• (Their story is truly tragic / poignant.)
• (The piece of music carries a plaintive / mournful melody.)
• (My heart alone is filled with sorrow.)

Advanced Usage

• In Literary & Artistic Criticism: Often used to describe the tone, theme, or emotional impact of a work of literature, music, or film (e.g., a ending, a symphony).
• Describing Atmosphere: Can describe an overall atmosphere of profound sadness (e.g., a scene after the battle).

Variants and Related Words

• Bi thảm (adj): Tragic, disastrous. Often implies a catastrophic or disastrous outcome, while focuses more on the emotional sorrow.
• Bi ai (adj): Mournful, sorrowful. Very close in meaning to , sometimes used interchangeably.
• Bi thương (adj): Sad, grievous. Another synonym for sorrowful.
• Sầu thảm (adj): Melancholy, grievous. Emphasizes a deep, lingering sadness.

Synonyms

• Đau thương: Painful, grievous.
• Thảm thiết: Bitterly mournful, heart-rending.
• Não nề: Heavy-hearted, grievous.
• Sầu bi: Literary term for sorrowful and mournful.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Bi thiết não nùng: An intensified phrase meaning profoundly and deeply sorrowful.
• Lời than bi thiết: A doleful / plaintive lament.

adj

1. Doleful
   • tiếng khóc than bi thiết
     doleful lamentations