Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Weak, feeble, debilitated: Describes a state of physical or mental weakness, lack of strength, or being in poor condition, often due to illness, exhaustion, or moral decay.
   • Degenerate, decadent: Can describe a state of moral or spiritual decline, corruption, or decay.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau trận ốm nặng, cơ thể anh ấy trở nên hư nhược. (After the serious illness, his body became weak and debilitated.)
  • Một chế độ hư nhược thường dẫn đến sự sụp đổ. (A degenerate regime often leads to collapse.)
  • Tinh thần hư nhược không thể vượt qua khó khăn. (A feeble spirit cannot overcome difficulties.)

Advanced Usage

• "hư nhược cơ thể": physical debilitation, bodily weakness.
  • Bệnh tật kéo dài gây ra tình trạng hư nhược cơ thể. (Prolonged illness causes a state of physical debilitation.)
• "tinh thần hư nhược": weak-willed, feeble-minded (in a moral/character sense).
  • Một kẻ tinh thần hư nhược dễ bị dao động. (A weak-willed person is easily swayed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhược (adj): Weak, feeble. Often used in compound words.
  • nhược điểm (weak point, disadvantage)
  • yếu nhược (weak and feeble)
• Hư (adj): Bad, spoiled, broken, corrupt. Often used in compound words.
  • hư hỏng (spoiled, broken down, corrupt)
  • hư vô (nihilistic, nothingness)

Synonyms

• Yếu ớt: Weak, frail.
• Suy nhược: Weakened, debilitated (often from illness).
• Bạc nhược: Feeble, impotent (often morally or in character).
• Nhu nhược: Weak, soft, lacking firmness (often in will or character).

Notes on Usage

• Hư nhược is a formal and somewhat literary term. It is stronger and more severe than simply yếu (weak).
• It often implies a weakness resulting from decay, corruption, or a degenerative process, rather than a temporary or inherent state.
• While it can describe physical weakness, it is frequently used in moral, spiritual, or political contexts to describe decline and decay.