dẹt lét
Definition
- Adjective:
- Completely flattened or squashed: Describes an object that has been crushed or pressed until it is entirely flat, losing its original three-dimensional form. Often implies a state of being flatter than normal or expected.
- Utterly dejected or deflated: Used figuratively to describe a person's spirit, morale, or ego as being completely crushed or diminished.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Quả bóng bị xe cán qua, dẹt lét rồi. (The ball was run over by a car and is completely flat now.)
- Sau khi bị từ chối, anh ấy trông dẹt lét. (After being rejected, he looked utterly deflated.)
- Cái hộp giấy bị đồ nặng đè lên, dẹt lét mất rồi. (The cardboard box had something heavy on it and is now completely squashed.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "dẹt lét" is often used for dramatic emphasis, highlighting an extreme or total state of flatness or deflation. It is more expressive and colloquial than the standard "dẹp" (flat).
Variants and Related Words
- Dẹp (adj): Flat, flattened. The standard, less emphatic term.
- Bẹp (adj): Flattened, crushed. Similar to "dẹp" but can imply a more forceful action.
- Dẹt dí (adj, colloquial): Very flat, completely flattened. A close synonym with similar emphatic force.
Synonyms
- Flattened: Made flat.
- Squashed: Crushed flat.
- Deflated: Having lost air, confidence, or energy.
- Crushed: Pressed so as to wrinkle or collapse.
Related Idioms
- While "dẹt lét" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its figurative use is idiomatic. It paints a vivid picture of someone's confidence being "flattened" or "squashed."
- Thất bại đó làm tinh thần anh ta dẹt lét. (That failure left his morale completely crushed.)