Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Indifferent, cold, aloof: Describes an attitude or behavior that shows a lack of warmth, interest, or care; treating someone with distance and neglect.
   • Frigid, unfeeling: Refers to a cold, emotionally distant, or unwelcoming manner.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau cuộc cãi vã, thái độ của anh ấy trở nên ghẻ lạnh. (After the argument, his attitude became cold and indifferent.)
  • Cô ấy cảm thấy bị tổn thương bởi cái nhìn ghẻ lạnh của đồng nghiệp. (She felt hurt by her colleague's frigid look.)
  • Một người bạn thân không nên đối xử ghẻ lạnh với nhau. (Close friends should not treat each other with indifference.)

Advanced Usage

• "sự ghẻ lạnh" (noun): The state or quality of being cold and indifferent.
  • Sự ghẻ lạnh trong gia đình khiến mọi người đau lòng. (The coldness within the family pains everyone.)
• Used to describe atmospheres or relationships that have lost their warmth.
  • Bầu không khí trong phòng họp thật ghẻ lạnh. (The atmosphere in the meeting room was truly frosty.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ghẻ (verb/noun): Can mean to scorn, to look down upon, or refer to scabies. In "ghẻ lạnh," it contributes the sense of scornful neglect.
• Lạnh (adjective): Cold (in temperature or emotion). In "ghẻ lạnh," it intensifies the emotional coldness.
• Hờ hững (adjective): Indifferent, unconcerned. A close synonym.
• Nhạt nhẽo (adjective): Insipid, lukewarm; can describe bland feelings or relationships.

Synonyms

• Thờ ơ: Indifferent, apathetic.
• Lãnh đạm: Cold, detached, impassive.
• Vô tâm: Heartless, inconsiderate.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Ăn ở ghẻ lạnh: To treat (someone) coldly or indifferently in cohabitation or daily interaction.
  • Họ ăn ở ghẻ lạnh với nhau sau vụ tranh chấp tài sản. (They treat each other with cold indifference after the property dispute.)
• Nhìn bằng nửa con mắt, ghẻ lạnh: To look at someone with disdain and coldness (literally: to look with half an eye, coldly).
  • Bà ấy nhìn tôi bằng nửa con mắt, ghẻ lạnh. (She looked at me with disdainful coldness.)

adj

1. indifferent; frigid