Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Frightful, horrible: Causing intense fear, shock, or revulsion due to extreme severity or a terrifying nature.
   • Formidable, terrible: Extremely impressive, intense, or powerful, often in a way that inspires awe or fear.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đó là một vụ tai nạn giao thông ghê gớm. (That was a horrible traffic accident.)
  • Cô ấy có một trí nhớ ghê gớm. (She has a formidable memory.)
  • Sức tàn phá của cơn bão thật ghê gớm. (The destructive power of the storm is truly terrible.)

Advanced Usage

• The word can be used to describe both negative phenomena (e.g., disasters, crimes) and positive or neutral phenomena that are remarkable in their extreme intensity (e.g., talent, ability, effort).
• "ghê hồn": A common variant with identical meaning, often used in spoken language.
  • Tên cướp có vũ khí trông ghê hồn. (The robber with a weapon looked frightening.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ghê (adj): scary, frightening; used for things that cause a shudder or feeling of fear, but often less intense than "ghê gớm".
  • Bộ phim đó ghê quá! (That movie is so scary!)
• Khiếp (adj/ interj): dreadful, terrible; also used as an exclamation ("Khiếp quá!" - "How dreadful!").

Synonyms

• Horrible: causing or likely to cause horror; shocking.
• Formidable: inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.
• Terrible: extremely bad or serious; causing great fear or suffering.

Related Idioms

• While "ghê gớm" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in expressive phrases to emphasize degree.
  • ghê gớm lắm: very terrible/formidable.
  • thật là ghê gớm: truly formidable/awful.

1. (cũng nói ghê hồn) Frightful, horrible
   • tai nạn ô tô ghê gớm
     a horrible car accident
2. Formidable, terrible