chết khô
Definition
- Adjective (Slang):
- To be long dead; to have been dead for a long time: Used to describe a person, animal, or sometimes figuratively a project or idea, that died a significant time ago, often implying the state is obvious, irreversible, or forgotten. It carries a blunt, sometimes vulgar or darkly humorous tone.
- To be completely dead; stone dead: Emphasizes the absolute, final, and often desiccated state of death, leaving no room for doubt.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nó chết khô rồi, đừng có gọi nữa. (He's long dead, don't call anymore.)
- Con chuột nằm đó, chết khô từ lâu. (The mouse lay there, stone dead for ages.)
- Dự án đó chết khô cả năm nay rồi. (That project has been dead and buried for a year now.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used for dramatic or comedic effect to stress the completeness and temporal distance of the death. It can be applied metaphorically to non-living things like plans, trends, or relationships to indicate they are utterly finished and have been for a while.
Variants and Related Words
- Chết ngắt (adj): to be stone dead, lifeless.
- Cái cây chết ngắt vì hạn hán. (The tree is completely dead from drought.)
- Chết cứng (adj): to be stiff dead (often referring to rigor mortis).
- Tìm thấy con chim chết cứng trong tổ. (Found the bird stiff dead in the nest.)
Synonyms
- Long dead: Having died far in the past.
- Stone dead: Unquestionably and completely dead.
- Deceased for a long time: A more formal equivalent.
Related Idioms
- Chết không kịp ngáp: to die instantly (without even gasping).
- Vụ nổ làm nó chết không kịp ngáp. (The explosion killed him instantly.)
- Chết đứng: to be stunned, flabbergasted (literally "to die standing").
- Nghe tin mà tôi chết đứng. (I was stunned when I heard the news.)