Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Throbbing wildly, panting heavily, gasping for breath: Describes the state of breathing rapidly, forcefully, and audibly, typically as a result of extreme physical exertion, exhaustion, or intense emotion. It emphasizes the visible and audible struggle to catch one's breath.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy chạy lên cầu thang và thở hồng hộc. (He ran up the stairs and was panting heavily.)
  • Sau khi chạy bộ 5 cây số, cô ấy đứng tựa vào tường, thở hồng hộc. (After running 5 kilometers, she leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.)
  • Nghe tin dữ, tim anh đập thình thịch và anh thở hồng hộc. (Upon hearing the bad news, his heart pounded and he breathed in ragged gasps.)

Advanced Usage

• "thở hồng hộc": This is the most common and natural collocation. The word "hồng hộc" is almost exclusively used with the verb "thở" (to breathe) to form the phrase "thở hồng hộc", meaning to breathe in a labored, gasping manner.

Variants and Related Words

• Hụt hơi (v/phrase): to be short of breath, to be winded. This describes a similar state but can be less intense or visual than "thở hồng hộc".
• Thở dốc (v/phrase): to pant, to be out of breath. Very close in meaning to "thở hồng hộc", often used interchangeably.
• Thở gấp (v/phrase): to breathe rapidly, to have quickened breath.

Synonyms

• Panting: Breathing with short, quick breaths, especially after exertion.
• Gasping: Catching one's breath with an open mouth, often in a desperate manner.
• Winded: Temporarily breathless from exercise.
• Heaving: (of breath) rising and falling rhythmically, especially with effort.

Related Idioms

• "Chạy thở hồng hộc": This phrase from the reference context perfectly encapsulates the primary usage: to run so fast that one is left breathing in wild, heavy gasps. It describes the direct cause-and-effect relationship between extreme physical effort and the resulting state of breathlessness.

1. Throbbing wildly
   • Chạy nhanh qúa, thở hồng hộc
     To have one's heart throb wildly after a very fast run