Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely sharp or pointed: Describes something with a very fine, sharp tip or edge. This word is almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase "nhọn hoắt" to intensify the meaning of "sharp."
   • Piercingly sharp (figurative): Can describe something perceived as sharp in a non-physical sense, such as a look or a sound.

Usage

• Important Note: "Hoắt" is a bound morpheme in modern Vietnamese. It is almost never used alone. Its primary and standard usage is in the reduplicative form "nhọn hoắt" (very sharp/pointed).
• When used, it functions as an intensifier for the adjective "nhọn" (sharp), adding emphasis and a vivid, descriptive quality.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (in the phrase "nhọn hoắt"):
  • Đầu bút chì này nhọn hoắt. (The tip of this pencil is extremely sharp.)
  • Con dao được mài nhọn hoắt. (The knife was sharpened to a razor-sharp edge.)
  • Cô ấy có chiếc mũi nhọn hoắt. (She has a very pointed nose.)
  • Ánh mắt nhọn hoắt của anh ta khiến mọi người sợ hãi. (His piercingly sharp gaze frightened everyone.)

Advanced Usage / Figurative Use

• "Nhọn hoắt" can be used metaphorically to describe something perceived as harsh, penetrating, or critically sharp.
  • Lời phê bình nhọn hoắt. (A scathingly sharp criticism.)
  • Tiếng cười nhọn hoắt. (A shrill, piercing laugh.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhọn (adj): Sharp, pointed. This is the root word that "hoắt" intensifies.
• Sắc (adj): Sharp (often for blades), keen, acute. Can be used similarly to "nhọn" but often implies a cutting edge.
  • Con dao sắc. (A sharp knife.)
• Sắc nhọn (adj): Sharp and pointed; often used for ideas or competition.
  • Tư duy sắc nhọn. (Keen/acute thinking.)

Synonyms

• Rất nhọn: Very sharp. (A more standard, less vivid alternative to "nhọn hoắt").
• Sắc bén: Sharp, keen, incisive (often for tools, intellect, or senses).

Related Idioms / Fixed Phrases

• Nhọn hoắt: The primary and essential fixed phrase containing "hoắt." It means "extremely sharp/pointed."
• Nhọn hoắt như kim: As sharp as a needle. (A simile emphasizing extreme sharpness).

1. nhọn hoắt
2. Very pointed