Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Shaggy, unkempt, tousled: Describes hair, fur, or foliage that is thick, messy, and sticking out in a rough, untidy manner.
   • Disheveled, scruffy: Can describe a general appearance of something that is rough, uneven, and not neatly arranged.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Tóc bờm xờm quá tai. (His/Her hair is so shaggy it covers the ears.)
  • Chiếc xe có lá ngụy trang bờm xờm. (The car has a shaggy camouflage of leaves.)
  • Tóc tai bờm xờm thế kia mà đi chơi à? (Your hair is so disheveled like that and you're going out?)

Advanced Usage

• Used primarily to describe visual texture and lack of neatness. It often carries a slightly negative connotation of neglect or wildness.
• Can be applied metaphorically to describe things that have a rough, irregular, or overgrown appearance, like a shaggy beard, untrimmed bushes, or makeshift camouflage.

Variants and Related Words

• Bù xù (adj): A direct synonym meaning disheveled, tousled, or unkempt, often used interchangeably with "bờm xờm" for hair.

Synonyms

• Shaggy: Having long, thick, and untidy hair or fur.
• Unkempt: Not neatly combed, arranged, or maintained.
• Tousled: (Of hair) untidy in a casual, often attractive way, though "bờm xờm" suggests a more messy state.
• Disheveled: (Of a person's hair, clothes, or appearance) very untidy.

Related Idioms

• While "bờm xờm" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in the phrase "đầu tóc bờm xờm" to explicitly mean a shaggy, unkempt head of hair.

adj

1. Shaggy
   • tóc bờm xờm quá tai
     a shaggy head of hair covering the ears
   • chiếc xe có lá ngụy trang bờm xờm
     a car with a shaggy camouflage of leaves