Definition

Adjective: - Extremely thin, gaunt, bony: Describes a state of being so thin that the bones are very prominent and visible, often implying a lack of healthy flesh or muscle. It suggests a degree of thinness that is stark and sometimes unhealthy or frail.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau trận ốm nặng, anh ấy trông rất gầy guộc. (After the serious illness, he looks very gaunt.)
  • Đôi bàn tay gầy guộc của bà lão run run cầm chén nước. (The old woman's bony hands trembled as she held the cup of water.)
  • Chó hoang thường có thân hình gầy guộc. (Stray dogs often have a bony physique.)

Advanced Usage

• "gầy guộc" vs. "gầy": While "gầy" simply means "thin," "gầy guộc" is more intense, emphasizing a skeletal, raw-boned appearance. It often carries a connotation of weakness, hardship, or poor health.
  • Cô ấy gầy nhưng khỏe mạnh. (She is thin but healthy.) [Uses "gầy"]
  • Cô ấy gầy guộc vì thiếu ăn. (She is gaunt from lack of food.) [Uses "gầy guộc"]

Variants and Related Words

• Gầy (adj): Thin, slim. The basic and more common term.
• Còm nhom (adj): Skinny, scrawny. Similar to "gầy guộc" but can sound slightly more informal or colloquial.
• Khẳng khiu (adj): Lanky, tall and very thin. Often used for limbs (e.g., arms, legs).
• Xương xẩu (adj): Bony. Focuses directly on the prominence of bones.

Synonyms

• Bony / Raw-boned: Having bones that stick out prominently.
• Gaunt: Very thin, especially because of illness, hunger, or age.
• Emaciated: Abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or lack of food. This is a stronger, more clinical term.
• Skinny: Informal for very thin.
• Scrawny: Unattractively thin and bony.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Gầy như que củi: As thin as a stick of firewood. An idiom describing extreme thinness.
  • Sau chuyến đi dài, anh ta về gầy như que củi. (After the long journey, he came back as thin as a stick.)
• Chỉ còn da bọc xương: Nothing but skin and bones. A common phrase to describe the same condition as "gầy guộc."
  • Con vật tội nghiệp bị bỏ đói, chỉ còn da bọc xương. (The poor animal was starved, it was nothing but skin and bones.)

adj

1. raw-boned, bony