Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Extremely frightened, terrified: Describes a state of being scared to the point of losing one's composure or spirit.
   • Greatly startled, shocked: Describes a state of being very surprised or alarmed by something sudden or unexpected.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tiếng nổ, tôi hết hồn. (Hearing the explosion, I was terrified.)
  • Nhìn thấy con rắn trên đường, cô ấy hết hồn. (Seeing the snake on the road, she was scared out of her wits.)
  • Mở cửa ra thấy anh ta đứng đó, tôi hết hồn. (Opening the door and seeing him standing there, I got the fright of my life.)

Advanced Usage

• "làm cho ai đó hết hồn": to scare someone terribly, to give someone a fright.
  • Câu chuyện ma đó làm cho bọn trẻ hết hồn. (That ghost story scared the children terribly.)
• "sợ hết hồn": to be deathly afraid.
  • Tôi sợ hết hồn khi phải nói trước đám đông. (I'm terrified of speaking in front of a crowd.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hết vía (adj, informal): A synonym with the same meaning as "hết hồn," also meaning extremely frightened.
  • Té xe, nó hết vía. (Falling off the bike, he was scared stiff.)
• Hoảng hồn (adj): To be panic-stricken, to be in a state of panic.
  • Nghe tin dữ, bà ấy hoảng hồn bỏ chạy. (Hearing the bad news, she panicked and ran away.)

Synonyms

• Khiếp sợ: to be terrified, to dread.
• Hoảng sợ: to be frightened, to be in a state of fear/panic.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "hết hồn" is an adjective phrase and does not have phrasal verb forms. It is commonly used with "sợ" (to be afraid) or "làm cho" (to make/cause).)

Related Idioms

• Hồn xiêu phách lạc: (Idiom) To be scared out of one's wits; to be so frightened that one's soul and spirit flee. This is a more literary synonym emphasizing extreme terror.
  • Tiếng hú trong đêm khiến nó hồn xiêu phách lạc. (The howl in the night scared him out of his wits.)

1. out of one's wets