Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Stunted, underdeveloped: Describes a person, animal, or plant that is small and weak, not growing to the normal or expected size due to poor health, malnutrition, or unfavorable conditions.
   • Scrawny, puny: Can describe something that is thin and appears weak or frail.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa trẻ này trông hơi còi cọc vì thiếu dinh dưỡng. (This child looks somewhat stunted due to a lack of nutrition.)
  • Cây cối trong khu vực đó mọc còi cọc vì đất khô cằn. (The plants in that area grow stunted because the soil is barren.)
  • Con mèo hoang nhỏ và còi cọc. (The stray cat is small and scrawny.)

Advanced Usage

• "còi cọc đi": to become stunted, to fail to thrive.

  • Cây non sẽ còi cọc đi nếu không đủ ánh sáng. (The sapling will become stunted if it doesn't get enough light.)

• "vóc dáng còi cọc": a stunted/stunted physique.

  • Cậu bé có vóc dáng còi cọc so với các bạn cùng tuổi. (The boy has a stunted physique compared to his peers.)

Variants and Related Words

• Còi (adj): Often used alone to mean thin, skinny, or underdeveloped. It can be a shorter, more colloquial form.

  • Nó ăn nhiều nhưng vẫn còi. (He eats a lot but is still skinny.)

• Cọc cạch (adj): Describes something rough, uneven, or not smooth, often used for surfaces or, metaphorically, for awkward movement. It is related in sound but not directly in meaning to "còi cọc."

Synonyms

• Ốm yếu: Sickly, weak.
• Gầy gò: Gaunt, skinny (often with a negative connotation of being too thin).
• Chậm lớn: Slow-growing (specifically for growth rate).

Related Phrases (if applicable)

• Ăn không lớn / Ăn hoài không lớn: An idiom meaning "to eat but not grow," often used to describe a child or animal that remains small and còi cọc despite eating.
  • Con bé ăn không lớn, cứ còi cọc mãi. (That girl eats but doesn't grow, she remains stunted.)

Related Idioms

• Cây khô đất cằn: Literally "dry trees, barren land," used to describe a place where nothing thrives, leading to còi cọc growth.
  • Vùng này như cây khô đất cằn, trồng cây gì cũng còi cọc. (This area is like dry trees, barren land; whatever you plant becomes stunted.)

1. Stunted (nói khái quát)