Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Old and decrepit: Describes a person, typically elderly, who is very old, frail, and physically worn out, often with a thin, bent, or shrunken appearance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Ông cụ già khọm ngồi một mình trên ghế đá. (The old and decrepit man sat alone on the stone bench.)
  • Bà ấy trông già khọm sau trận ốm nặng. (She looked old and decrepit after the serious illness.)

Advanced Usage

• The term carries a stronger, more vivid connotation than simply "old" ("già"), emphasizing extreme physical decline, weakness, and a state of being worn down by age.

Variants and Related Words

• Già khụ (adj): A synonym with identical meaning to "già khọm," also meaning old and decrepit.
  • Người đàn ông già khụ lom khom bước đi. (The old and decrepit man walked hunched over.)

Synonyms

• Decrepit: Worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.
• Feeble: Weak, especially due to age or illness.
• Infirm: Physically weak, especially from old age or illness.

Related Idioms

• While "già khọm" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it vividly describes the state conveyed by the Vietnamese expression "da bọc xương" (skin wrapped around bones), meaning extremely thin and emaciated, often due to old age.

1. Old and decrepit