Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fabulous, fantastic, incredible: Describes something that is so extraordinary, strange, or unbelievable that it seems like a fable or myth; often implying a lack of credibility or reality.
   • Unreal, improbable: Refers to stories, events, or descriptions that are difficult to believe because they are exaggerated, mystical, or beyond normal experience.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy kể một câu chuyện huyền hồ về cuộc gặp gỡ với người ngoài hành tinh. (He told a fabulous story about meeting an alien.)
  • Những lời hứa huyền hồ của nhà đầu tư khiến mọi người nghi ngờ. (The investor's incredible promises made everyone suspicious.)
  • Truyền thuyết về thành phố mất tích Atlantis là một câu chuyện huyền hồ. (The legend of the lost city of Atlantis is a fantastic tale.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used to express skepticism or doubt about the truthfulness of a narrative.
  • Đừng tin vào những điều huyền hồ đó. (Don't believe those far-fetched things.)
• Can describe abstract concepts like theories or explanations that seem implausible.
  • Lý thuyết của ông ta nghe có vẻ huyền hồ và thiếu bằng chứng khoa học. (His theory sounds improbable and lacks scientific evidence.)

Variants and Related Words

• Huyền hoặc (adj): A synonym with identical meaning (fabulous, incredible). This is the form listed in the Vietnamese-Vietnamese reference.
  • Câu chuyện đầy huyền hoặc. (A story full of marvels.)
• Huyền bí (adj): Mysterious, mystical. Focuses more on mystery than on incredibility.
  • Một vùng đất huyền bí. (A mysterious land.)
• Hư cấu (adj): Fictional, fabricated. Emphasizes being invented rather than being unbelievable.
  • Nhân vật hư cấu. (A fictional character.)

Synonyms

• Kỳ lạ: Strange, weird.
• Khó tin: Hard to believe, unbelievable.
• Hoang đường: Mythical, absurd (often with a stronger negative connotation of being false or ridiculous).

Related Phrases

• Chuyện huyền hồ: A fabulous/fantastic story (a common collocation).
  • Cả phòng im lặng lắng nghe chuyện huyền hồ của ông lão. (The whole room fell silent listening to the old man's fabulous story.)
• Lời nói huyền hồ: Incredible/far-fetched words.
  • Anh ta chỉ toàn lời nói huyền hồ. (He only speaks incredible words.)

Notes on Usage

• Huyền hồ is a literary and somewhat formal adjective. In everyday spoken Vietnamese, words like khó tin (unbelievable) or lạ thường (unusual) might be more common.
• It primarily modifies nouns related to speech, narrative, or description (e.g., chuyện, lời nói, lời hứa, truyền thuyết).
• The word carries a nuance that the described subject stretches credulity and may not be grounded in fact.

1. Fabulous
   • Chuyện huyền hồ
     A fabulous story