Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Excellent, outstanding, formidable: Used to describe something or someone that is exceptionally good, impressive, or skilled.
   • Strong, sturdy, solid: Can describe something physically robust or a person with strong willpower or capability.

2. Noun:

   • Pile, stake: A long, heavy, pointed piece of wood, metal, or concrete driven into the ground to support a structure, form a barrier, or secure something.
   • Sheep: (A homophone; this is a different word "cừu" but shares the same spelling in some romanization systems. For clarity, this meaning is listed here as it is a common point of confusion for learners.)

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Bài thuyết trình của anh ấy thật sự rất cừ. (His presentation is truly excellent.)
  • Nó là một tay lái cừ. (He is a formidable driver.)

• Noun (Pile/Stake):

  • Họ đóng những chiếc cừ xuống lòng sông để xây cầu. (They drove the piles into the riverbed to build the bridge.)
  • Hàng rào được làm từ những cây cừ gỗ. (The fence is made of wooden stakes.)

Advanced Usage

• "cừ khôi": Outstanding, eminent (a more literary synonym of the adjective form).

  • Anh ấy là một nhà khoa học cừ khôi. (He is an eminent scientist.)

• "đóng cừ": To drive piles (a technical term in construction).

  • Công việc đóng cừ đã hoàn thành. (The pile-driving work is finished.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cừu (n): Sheep. (This is a distinct word. The similarity in spelling can cause confusion.)

  • Đàn cừu đang gặm cỏ trên đồi. (The flock of sheep is grazing on the hill.)

• Cọc (n): Stake, post. (A close synonym for the noun "cừ" meaning stake.)

  • Buộc con thuyền vào cọc. (Tie the boat to the stake.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Xuất sắc (excellent), giỏi (good/skilled), đỉnh (slang for top-tier).
• Noun (Pile): Cọc (stake), trụ (pillar, column).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Làm cừ: To act impressively/skillfully (using the adjective sense idiomatically).

  • Hôm nay nó làm cừ lắm! (He performed impressively today!)

• Tay cừ: A master, an expert (literally: a "cừ hand").

  • Ông ấy là tay cừ trong nghề sửa xe. (He is a master in car repair.)

Related Idioms

• "Chơi cừ": (Slang) To do something in an outstanding or showy manner.
  • Vòng đua cuối cùng, anh ta chơi cừ và vượt lên dẫn đầu. (In the final lap, he put on a masterclass and took the lead.)

(Note: The vulgar/"épatant" sense from the reference is an older, colloquial, and potentially offensive usage. The primary modern meanings are as defined above.)