chểnh choảng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Discordant; incongruous; not going well together: Describes things that are mismatched, clashing, or lacking harmony in combination, often creating an unpleasant or awkward effect. It refers to a lack of cohesion or compatibility.
- Careless; negligent; done in a slapdash manner: Describes an action performed without proper care, attention, or thoroughness, leading to a messy or unsatisfactory result.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Discordant):
- Bộ trang phục của cô ấy trông thật chểnh choảng. (Her outfit looks very discordant.)
- Những ý kiến chểnh choảng đã phá hỏng buổi thảo luận. (The incongruous opinions ruined the discussion.)
- Adjective (Careless):
- Công việc được hoàn thành một cách chểnh choảng. (The work was completed in a careless manner.)
- Anh ta có thói quen chểnh choảng trong việc giữ gìn tài liệu. (He has a habit of being negligent in keeping documents.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is considered somewhat literary or formal and is not extremely common in everyday casual speech. It often carries a critical or disapproving tone.
Variants and Related Words
- Chểnh mảng (adj): Negligent, remiss. This is a more common variant focusing solely on the meaning of carelessness or inattentiveness.
- Học sinh đó bị phạt vì thái độ chểnh mảng. (That student was punished for a negligent attitude.)
Synonyms
- Discordant: Clashing, inharmonious.
- Incongruous: Inconsistent, out of place.
- Careless: Negligent, slapdash, perfunctory.
- Haphazard: Disorganized, unsystematic.
Related Idioms
- Làm việc chểnh choảng: To work in a careless, half-hearted way.
- Không thể tin tưởng vào một người luôn làm việc chểnh choảng. (You cannot rely on a person who always works carelessly.)