khắm lặm
Definition
Adjective: - Extremely foul-smelling, putrid, rancid: Describes something that has a very strong, offensive, and unbearable odor, often due to spoilage or decay. It implies a level of stench that is more intense than just "khắm" (smelly).
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thùng rác này bốc mùi khắm lặm. (This trash bin smells extremely foul.)
- Cá để lâu ngày đã khắm lặm, không thể ăn được. (The fish left for many days has become putrid and inedible.)
- Căn phòng khoá kín lâu ngày có mùi khắm lặm. (The room locked up for a long time has a rancid smell.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "khắm lặm" is often used for dramatic emphasis to describe a truly revolting smell. It is more colloquial and vivid than formal synonyms.
- It can be used metaphorically in informal contexts to describe something morally repugnant or distasteful, though this is less common.
- Câu chuyện đó nghe khắm lặm quá. (That story sounds utterly disgusting.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khắm (adj): Smelly, foul-smelling. This is the root word, with "lặm" acting as an intensifier.
- Thối (adj): Rotten, decaying. Often used for organic matter.
- Hôi (adj): Having a bad smell, stinky. A more general term.
Synonyms
- Hôi thối: Stinking, foul.
- Hôi rình: Reeking, very smelly.
- Ôi thiu: Rancid, spoiled (often for food).
Related Idioms
- While "khắm lặm" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it fits into descriptive patterns about bad smells:
- Bốc mùi khắm lặm: To emit a terribly foul smell.
- Khắm lặm như xác chết: As foul-smelling as a corpse (a very strong simile).