cụt lổng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Very short, abruptly cut off, stubby: Describes something that is unusually short in length, often appearing as if it has been cut or broken off, leaving a blunt end. It emphasizes a lack of expected length or extension.
- Truncated, curtailed: Can describe something that has been shortened, typically in a way that seems incomplete or abrupt.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cây bút chì này cụt lổng rồi, không gọt được nữa. (This pencil is very short/stubby now, it can't be sharpened anymore.)
- Anh ta có một cái đuôi cụt lổng. (He has a stubby tail.)
- Câu chuyện bị kết thúc cụt lổng, khiến độc giả thất vọng. (The story ended abruptly/truncated, leaving the readers disappointed.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe speech or text: Can describe speech, an answer, or a narrative that is excessively brief, lacking detail, or feels abruptly terminated.
- Cậu ấy trả lời cụt lổng "không biết" rồi bỏ đi. (He gave a curt/abrupt "I don't know" and walked away.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cụt (adj): Short, cut off. Often used in compounds (e.g., - having a severed/amputated arm, - to lose one's enthusiasm/mood).
- Lủn củn (adj): Also means very short and stubby, similar to .
Synonyms
- Ngắn cũn: Very short, stubby.
- Cộc lốc: Curt, blunt, laconic (often used for speech).
- Cụt ngủn: Very short (similar to ).
Related Phrases
- Nói cụt lổng: To speak curtly, to give a blunt and short answer.
- Đừng nói cụt lổng với người lớn như vậy. (Don't speak so curtly to elders like that.)
Related Idioms
- Cụt lủn: An informal variant with the same meaning as .
- Cái que cụt lủn chẳng dùng được vào việc gì. (That stubby stick is useless for anything.)