Definition

1. Idiom:
   • Extreme poverty; destitution: A figurative expression describing a state of utter poverty and hardship, where one's most basic clothing (loincloth and shirt) is torn and tattered. It emphasizes a condition of having nothing and being in dire need.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Sau trận lũ, nhiều gia đình rơi vào cảnh khố rách áo ôm. (After the flood, many families fell into a state of utter destitution.)
  • Câu chuyện kể về một người đàn ông khố rách áo ôm vươn lên thành công. (The story is about a man in rags who rose to success.)

Advanced Usage

• This idiom is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke a strong image of poverty and social hardship. It can describe both material lack and a state of helplessness.

Variants and Related Words

• Nghèo rớt mồng tơi (idiom): To be extremely poor; dirt poor.

  • Họ sống trong một khu ổ chuột, thực sự nghèo rớt mồng tơi. (They live in a slum, truly dirt poor.)

• Túng quẫn (adj): To be in dire straits; financially desperate.

  • Hoàn cảnh túng quẫn khiến anh ta phải làm mọi việc. (The desperate circumstances forced him to do anything.)

Synonyms

• Destitution: A state of extreme poverty where the necessities of life are lacking.
• Poverty-stricken: Suffering from severe poverty.
• In rags: Dressed in old, torn clothes, symbolizing poverty.

Related Idioms

• Ăn bữa hôm lo bữa mai: To live hand to mouth; to have no security for the future.

  • Cuộc sống ăn bữa hôm lo bữa mai của họ thật đáng thương. (Their hand-to-mouth existence is truly pitiful.)

• Đầu tắt mặt tối: To work incessantly from dawn till dusk just to make ends meet.

  • Cha mẹ đầu tắt mặt tối để nuôi con ăn học. (The parents work themselves to the bone to feed and educate their children.)