Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely dried out and shrivelled: Describes something, typically organic matter, that has become excessively dry, often to the point of being brittle, withered, and contracted in size.
   • Extremely thin or emaciated: Used colloquially to describe a person who is excessively skinny, gaunt, or withered in appearance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cá phơi lâu quá khô đét. (The fish is completely shrivelled up from being dried in the sun for too long.)
  • Già nua người khô đét. (To be wizened and shrivelled up by old age.)
  • Cô con gái khô đét. (The young girl is as thin as a wafer.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "khô đét" is often used for dramatic emphasis, conveying a stronger degree of dryness or thinness than just "khô" (dry) or "gầy" (thin). It suggests a state that is unnatural, extreme, or undesirable.

Variants and Related Words

• Khô (adj): Dry. The root word, indicating a lack of moisture.
• Khô quắt (adj): Withered, shrivelled. Very similar in meaning to "khô đét," often interchangeable.
• Teo tóp (adj): Shrivelled, shrunken. Often used for body parts or objects that have lost volume.

Synonyms

• Shrivelled: Wrinkled and contracted due to loss of moisture.
• Withered: Dry and shrivelled, as if from age or disease.
• Emaciated: Abnormally thin or weak, especially from illness or lack of food.
• Gaunt: Lean and haggard, especially from hunger or age.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Khô như mắm đét: (As dry as dried-out fish sauce). An idiomatic expression emphasizing extreme dryness, reinforcing the imagery of "khô đét."

1. Shrivelled up
   • Cá phơi lâu quá khô đét
     The fish is shrivelled up from long exposure to the sun
   • Già nua người khô đét
     To be shrivelled up by old age
2. Thin as a wafer
   • Cô con gái khô đét
     A young girl as thin as a wafer