Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Frightened out of one's wits; extremely terrified; scared stiff: Describes a state of being so frightened that one feels as if their "vía" (a concept in Vietnamese folk belief referring to a vital spirit or soul associated with courage and vitality) has been scared away or diminished. It implies a profound, paralyzing fear.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tiếng nổ lớn, nó bạt vía chạy mất. (Hearing the loud explosion, he was frightened out of his wits and ran away.)
  • Câu chuyện ma ấy khiến tôi gần như bạt vía. (That ghost story almost scared me stiff.)
  • Đối mặt với con hổ, người thợ săn cũng thấy bạt vía. (Facing the tiger, even the hunter felt frightened out of his wits.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bạt vía" is deeply rooted in Vietnamese folk belief, where a person is thought to have multiple "hồn" (souls) and "vía" (vital spirits). "Vía" is often associated with physical strength, courage, and presence of mind. To be "bạt vía" means this vital spirit is severely shaken or driven away by extreme fear.
• It is often used in hyperbolic or dramatic contexts to emphasize an intense emotional reaction to a sudden scare or danger.

Variants and Related Words

• Bạt hồn (adj): A near-synonym meaning "scared out of one's soul" or "terrified." It is often used interchangeably with "bạt vía" in many contexts.
  • Cú ngã từ trên cao khiến anh ta bạt hồn. (The fall from a high place terrified him.)
• Kinh hồn bạt vía (idiomatic phrase): An intensified form meaning "utterly and completely terrified; scared to death."
• Hồn vía (n): Refers to the souls and vital spirits collectively. Often used in phrases like "hồn vía lên mây" (to be scared out of one's wits) or "giữ hồn giữ vía" (to keep one's composure).

Synonyms

• Khiếp sợ / Khiếp đảm: To be terrified, horrified.
• Hoảng sợ / Hoảng hốt: To be frightened, startled, in a panic.
• Sợ khiếp vía: An idiom meaning "to be scared witless."

Related Idioms

• Kinh hồn bạt vía: To be utterly terrified; scared out of one's wits.
  • Cảnh tượng tại hiện trường vụ tai nạn khiến mọi người kinh hồn bạt vía. (The scene at the accident site scared everyone out of their wits.)
• Sợ mất hồn mất vía: To be scared to the point of losing one's soul and vital spirit.
  • Đứa trẻ sợ mất hồn mất vía khi thấy bóng đen trong phòng. (The child was scared out of his wits when he saw a shadow in the room.)

adj

1. Frightened out of one's wits