Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Rugged, sinewy: Describes a physical appearance, typically of a face or limbs, that is strongly defined, with prominent bones, tendons, or muscles, suggesting toughness, strength, or a lack of softness.
   • Forceful, vigorous: Can describe a style or manner that is bold, unrefined, and powerfully direct.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy có khuôn mặt gân guốc. (He has a rugged, sinewy face.)
  • Phong cách viết của nhà văn đó rất gân guốc. (That writer's style is very vigorous and forceful.)
  • Những cánh tay gân guốc của người lao động. (The sinewy arms of the laborer.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a connotation of raw, unadorned strength or resilience, and is frequently used in descriptive prose to characterize individuals who work with their hands or have endured hardship.

Variants and Related Words

• Gân guốc is a compound word formed from "gân" (tendon, sinew) and "guốc" (wooden clog, suggesting something hard and unyielding). It is primarily used in its combined form.

Synonyms

• Rugged: Having a rough, uneven, or strong surface or appearance.
• Sinewy: Having strong and lean muscle; tough.
• Craggy: (Of a man's face) having strong, attractive features with deep lines.

Related Idioms

• While "gân guốc" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, its imagery is related to expressions of toughness and resilience.

1. Rugged
   • Mặt gân guốc
     A rugged face