Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Cross-eyed; having strabismus: Refers to a medical condition where the eyes are misaligned and do not look in the same direction.
   • (Slang) Amazed, astonished, filled with admiration: Used colloquially to express being extremely surprised, impressed, or in awe of something or someone.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Medical condition):

  • Đứa trẻ bị lác mắt từ nhỏ. (The child has been cross-eyed since childhood.)
  • Anh ấy phải phẫu thuật để chữa chứng lác mắt. (He had to have surgery to correct his strabismus.)

• Adjective (Slang - Amazed):

  • Màn trình diễn của anh ấy khiến khán giả lác mắt. (His performance left the audience amazed.)
  • Thấy căn biệt thự đó, ai cũng phải lác mắt. (Seeing that villa, everyone was astonished.)

Advanced Usage

• "phải lác mắt": must be amazed; cannot help but be impressed.

  • Tài năng của cậu ấy khiến ngay cả chuyên gia cũng phải lác mắt. (His talent makes even experts be amazed.)

• "đến lác mắt": to the point of being amazed; incredibly.

  • Bộ sưuập đồng hồ của ông ấy đẹp đến lác mắt. (His watch collection is incredibly beautiful.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lác (adj): The shorter, more common form meaning "cross-eyed" or, in slang, "amazed." "Lác mắt" is a fuller form.

  • Nó nhìn lác một bên. (He looks cross-eyed to one side.)
  • Giá cả ở đây làm tôi lác. (The prices here amaze me.)

• Chứng lác (n): Strabismus (the medical condition).

  • Bác sĩ chẩn đoán cháu bị chứng lác. (The doctor diagnosed the child with strabismus.)

Synonyms

• Lé (adj): Specifically means having one eye that turns inward or outward (walleyed or cross-eyed). It is often used interchangeably with "lác" for the medical condition but less commonly in the slang sense of "amazed."
• Thán phục (v): To admire, to be full of admiration. (Closest synonym for the slang meaning).
• Kinh ngạc (adj): Astonished, astounded.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• (Không có a specific phrasal verb, but the phrase itself is idiomatic in the slang sense): The slang usage of "lác mắt" is itself an idiomatic expression meaning to be wide-eyed with surprise or admiration.
  • Trước sự giàu có của họ, tôi chỉ biết lác mắt. (Faced with their wealth, I could only be astonished.)

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