Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fearful, terrified: Describes a state of experiencing intense fear or terror.
   • Frightening, horrifying: Describes something that causes intense fear or horror.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cảnh tượng đó thật hãi hùng. (That scene was truly horrifying.)
  • Cô ấy cảm thấy hãi hùng khi một mình trong bóng tối. (She felt terrified when alone in the dark.)
  • "Dặm rừng bước thấp bước cao hãi hùng." (The journey on the uneven forest path was really fearful.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary and Emphatic Use: "Hãi hùng" is often used in literary contexts or for strong emphasis to convey a profound sense of dread or to describe something extremely frightening. It is more intense than common words like "sợ" (afraid).
  • Những ký ức hãi hùng của chiến tranh vẫn còn ám ảnh ông. (The horrifying memories of the war still haunt him.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hãi (v/n): To fear; fear. A root word meaning fear.
  • Hãi quá! (How frightening!)
• Kinh hãi (adj): Horrified, appalled. A synonym with similar intensity.
  • một tội ác kinh hãi (a horrifying crime)
• Khiếp hãi (adj): Terrified, filled with dread. Another strong synonym.
  • khiếp hãi trước sức mạnh của thiên nhiên (terrified by the power of nature)

Synonyms

• Kinh sợ: To dread, to be terrified.
• Khiếp sợ: To be terrified, to be in dread.
• Sợ hãi: To be afraid, fearful (a more common compound).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Hãi hùng kinh khiếp: An intensified phrase meaning utterly terrifying, horrifying beyond measure.
  • Câu chuyện ma ấy hãi hùng kinh khiếp. (That ghost story is utterly terrifying.)
• Làm hãi hùng: To frighten, to terrify (to cause someone to be "hãi hùng").
  • Tiếng gào thét trong đêm làm mọi người hãi hùng. (The scream in the night terrified everyone.)

1. Fearful, frightening.
   • "Dặm rừng bước thấp bước cao hãi hùng " (Nguyễn Du)
2. The journey on thew uneven forest path was really fearful