Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unsightly: Causing discomfort or offense to the eye; appearing unpleasant, garish, or unacceptably inappropriate to look at.
   • Offensive to the eye: Describing something whose appearance is jarring, tasteless, or socially unacceptable, provoking a feeling of irritation or disapproval in the viewer.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bộ trang phục đó thật gai mắt. (That outfit is truly unsightly.)
  • Cảnh tượng lộn xộn ấy khiến mọi người đều thấy gai mắt. (That chaotic scene made everyone find it offensive to the eye.)
  • Kiểu trang trí màu mè quá, gai mắt lắm. (That overly flashy decoration style is very grating to look at.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "gai mắt" is often used in social or aesthetic criticism to comment on behavior, fashion, or decor that violates norms of propriety or good taste. It implies a judgment that something is not just ugly, but vulgarly or embarrassingly so.

Synonyms

• Eyesore: Something very ugly to look at.
• Garish: Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid.
• Tasteless: Lacking aesthetic judgment or social appropriateness.
• Grating: Irritating or annoying to the senses.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Chướng mắt: A very close synonym, also meaning offensive or jarring to the sight, often used interchangeably with "gai mắt".
  • Cửa hàng treo biển quảng cáo chướng mắt. (The store hung up an eyesore of a sign.)

adj

1. unsightly