Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Very dry, parched: Describes something that is extremely dry, often to the point of being hard, brittle, or withered. It is often used in its reduplicative form "khô khốc" to intensify the meaning of "khô" (dry).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Mùa hè khiến cánh đồng trở nên khốc. (The summer made the field become parched.)
  • Chiếc bánh mì để lâu ngày đã khô khốc. (The loaf of bread left out for many days had become very dry and hard.)
  • Giọng nói của anh ấy nghe khô khốc và lạnh lùng. (His voice sounded very dry and cold.)

Advanced Usage

• "khô khốc": This is the most common usage. It is a reduplicative form (từ láy) where "khốc" intensifies the adjective "khô" (dry), emphasizing an extreme state of dryness, often with a negative connotation of being unpleasant, harsh, or barren.
  • Mảnh đất khô khốc không thể trồng trọt. (The parched land cannot be cultivated.)
  • Một câu trả lời khô khốc. (A very dry/curt reply.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khô (adj): Dry. The base adjective.
• Khô khan (adj): Dry, arid; can also describe a personality or style that is dull, boring, or lacking emotion.
• Khô héo (adj): Withered, dried up (often for plants).
• Khô cằn (adj): Arid, barren (for land).

Synonyms

• Cạn kiệt: Dried up, depleted (often for resources).
• Héo hon: Withered.
• Khô rang: Very dry and crisp (often for food).

Notes on Usage

• The word "khốc" is almost never used alone in modern Vietnamese. It is primarily used in the fixed reduplicative form "khô khốc".
• Using "khốc" alone would sound incomplete or archaic to most native speakers.
• It carries a stronger, more vivid, and sometimes more negative connotation than simply "khô," implying a severe, undesirable, or extreme state of dryness.

1. Very (dry)
   • Khô khốc
     Very dry.
2. (không khốc) (láy, ý tăng) Parched