Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Panic-stricken, flustered, in a frantic hurry: Describes a state of being extremely hurried, anxious, or frightened, often resulting in disorganized or frantic behavior. It conveys a sense of being breathless from panic or rush.

Usage

• "Hớt hải" is used to describe a person's state or manner when they are acting with extreme haste due to fear, anxiety, or urgency. It often implies a loss of composure.
• It is commonly used in its reduplicative form "hớt hơ hớt hải" to intensify the meaning, emphasizing a state of complete panic or breathless rush.

Usage Examples

• (She ran in, looking completely panic-stricken, to announce there was a fire.)
• (Don't be so flustered; just calm down and talk.)
• (Upon hearing the bad news, he rushed out of the house in a frantic hurry.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hớt hơ hớt hải": This is the most common and natural form. It is a reduplicative phrase (từ láy) that strengthens the meaning of panic and breathlessness.
  • Thấy con mình lạc đâu mất, chị ấy hớt hơ hớt hải đi tìm khắp nơi. (Seeing that her child was lost, she searched everywhere in a complete panic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hốt hoảng (adj): Frightened, alarmed, panicked. This is a close synonym but may imply a slightly more sudden shock.
• Cuống cuồng (adj): Frenzied, frantic. Emphasizes chaotic, disorganized action due to panic.
• Vội vã (adj): Hurried, hasty. Focuses on speed but does not necessarily imply panic.

Synonyms

• Hoảng hốt: To be startled, alarmed.
• Lúng túng: To be flustered, confused (often due to shyness or an unexpected situation).

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning of "hớt hải" revolves around a visible, often physical, manifestation of panic—such as rushing about breathlessly, having a frantic expression, or speaking in a hurried, anxious manner.
• It is rarely used in formal writing and is more common in spoken language or descriptive narratives.

1. Panic, be panic-stricken
2. Hớt hơ hớt hải(láy, ý tăng)
   • Thằng bé hớt hơ hớt hải chạy về nhà báo em suýt nữa bị xe ô tô chẹt
     The little boy completely panic-stricken rushed home to say that his small brother had just missed being run over by car