Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely withered, completely shriveled: Describes a state of severe wilting, drying, or withering, often to the point of being curled, wrinkled, and lifeless. It implies a more intense degree of dryness and loss of vitality than just "héo" (withered).
   • Haggard, gaunt (figurative): Used figuratively to describe a person's face or appearance as looking extremely tired, worn out, drained, or emaciated.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau đợt hạn hán kéo dài, cánh đồng ngô trông héo quắt. (After the prolonged drought, the cornfield looked completely shriveled.)
  • Lá cây rơi xuống đất và héo quắt dưới cái nắng mùa hè. (The leaves fell to the ground and shriveled up under the summer sun.)
  • Gương mặt héo quắt của ông ấy phản ánh những năm tháng vất vả. (His haggard face reflected the difficult years.)

Advanced Usage

• "héo quắt đi": to become completely shriveled/withered.
  • Bông hoa tươi đẹp ngày hôm qua giờ đã héo quắt đi. (The beautiful fresh flower from yesterday has now shriveled up.)
• Used to emphasize a state of utter dryness, depletion, or exhaustion, whether literal (plants) or metaphorical (spirit, appearance).

Variants and Related Words

• Héo (adj): withered, wilted. The core word, indicating a less severe state of drying.
• Héo hon (adj): withered, languishing. Similar to "héo quắt" but can carry a more poetic or pitiful connotation.
• Quắt (adj, often combined): curled, shriveled. Rarely used alone; typically combines with "héo" to intensify the meaning.
• Khô quắt (adj): extremely dry, parched. Used for objects that are dried out.

Synonyms

• Teo tóp: shriveled, shrunken (often for organic matter).
• Còi cọc: stunted, underdeveloped (due to lack of nourishment).
• Tiều tụy (figurative): haggard, worn out, decrepit (often for people).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Héo quắt vì (figurative): to be withered/consumed by (something like worry, longing).
  • Cô ấy héo quắt vì nhớ mong. (She was wasting away from longing.)
• While not a phrasal verb, the structure "héo quắt đi" functions similarly to the English phrasal verb "to shrivel up."

1. Shrivel[up]