Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Haunting, harrying, persistently worrying: Describes a feeling, thought, or memory that lingers obsessively in one's mind, causing continuous anxiety or preoccupation and is difficult to forget or shake off.
   • Obsessed, preoccupied: Indicates a state of being mentally consumed by a persistent concern.

2. Adverb:

   • In a hauntingly worried manner: Modifies a verb to describe an action (like worrying, thinking) done with a sense of persistent, nagging preoccupation.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Nỗi nàng canh cánh bên lòng biếng khuây. (Nguyễn Du) (The thought of her was haunting his heart, refusing to fade.)
  • Anh ấy có nỗi lo canh cánh về tương lai. (He has a haunting worry about the future.)

• Adverb:

  • Cô ấy cứ lo canh cánh không ngủ được. (She kept worrying hauntingly and couldn't sleep.)
  • Nghĩ về bài thi, cậu ấy thở dài canh cánh. (Thinking about the exam, he sighed with nagging worry.)

Advanced Usage

• "lòng canh cánh": a heart/mind filled with persistent worry.

  • Lòng canh cánh vì chuyện gia đình. (A heart harried by family matters.)

• "nỗi niềm canh cánh": haunting sentiments or preoccupations.

  • Chia sẻ nỗi niềm canh cánh với bạn thân. (To share one's haunting preoccupations with a close friend.)

Variants and Related Words

• Canh cạnh (less common variant): Has a similar meaning of something pressing closely, often used interchangeably in some contexts to describe persistent worry.
• Ám ảnh (verb/noun: to haunt/obsess; obsession): Shares the core idea of something lingering in the mind but is more general and can be used in broader, sometimes less literary, contexts (e.g., - to be haunted by a memory).
• Vương vấn (verb/adjective: to linger, to be attached to): Focuses more on a lingering attachment or longing, often with a softer, more sentimental nuance than the anxious worry of .

Synonyms

• Day dứt: to be tormented, troubled (by guilt, regret).
• Bận tâm: to be concerned, preoccupied (can be less intense).
• Khắc khoải: to be restless, anxious with longing.

Related Phrases

• Lo canh cánh: to worry persistently.
  • Bà mẹ lo canh cánh cho đứa con đi xa. (The mother worries hauntingly for her child who is far away.)

Related Idioms

• Canh cánh bên lòng: (idiomatic) to be constantly on one's mind/heart.
  • Lời hứa năm xưa vẫn canh cánh bên lòng. (The promise from years ago still haunts my heart.)

adj

1. Haunting, harrying
   • lo canh cánh
     to be hauntingly worried