Definition

1. Idiom (figurative expression):
   • To be scared out of one's wits; to be frightened to death: An idiom describing a state of extreme fright or shock, so intense it feels as if one's soul or vital spirit has been startled away. It emphasizes a sudden, profound scare.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Nghe tiếng nổ, tôi hú hồn hú vía. (Hearing the explosion, I was scared out of my wits.)
  • Cô ấy hú hồn hú vía khi thấy con rắn trong phòng tắm. (She was frightened to death when she saw the snake in the bathroom.)
  • Lái xe trên đường đêm, gặp tai nạn, anh ta hú hồn hú vía. (Driving on the night road and encountering an accident, he was scared stiff.)

Advanced Usage

• The idiom is often used in past tense narratives to describe a reaction to a sudden, alarming event. It can be used humorously to describe a milder scare in informal contexts.
  • Xem phim kinh dị xong, cả bọn hú hồn hú vía. (After watching the horror movie, the whole group was thoroughly spooked.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hú vía (idiom): A slightly shorter, more common variant with the same meaning.
  • Tôi hú vía vì suýt ngã. (I got a terrible fright because I almost fell.)

Synonyms

• To be terrified: To be filled with overwhelming fear.
• To be petrified: To be so frightened as to be unable to move.
• To get the fright of one's life: To experience an extremely shocking scare.

Related Idioms

• Sợ xanh mặt: to be scared pale; to turn white with fear.
  • Anh ta sợ xanh mặt khi bị phát hiện. (He turned pale with fear when he was discovered.)
• Sợ mất mật: (literally: to be so scared one loses one's bile) to be scared witless.
  • Tiếng động lạ trong nhà kho làm nó sợ mất mật. (The strange noise in the warehouse scared him witless.)