Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Excessively thin or skinny: Describes a person or animal who is extremely lean, gaunt, or emaciated, often to an unhealthily noticeable degree. It implies a lack of flesh and a prominent, bony appearance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa trẻ đói ăn trông lõ lẽo. (The malnourished child looks terribly skinny.)
  • Sau trận ốm, anh ấy lõ lẽo hẳn đi. (After the illness, he became very gaunt.)
  • Con mèo hoang ăn ít nên người lõ lẽo. (The stray cat eats little, so its body is scrawny.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "lõ lẽo" is often used to evoke a sense of pity or concern for the subject's poor health or poor living conditions. It is more expressive and carries a stronger negative connotation than the neutral word "gầy" (thin).

Variants and Related Words

• Lõ khõ (adj): A near-synonym also meaning very thin and bony.
  • Ông cụ lõ khõ vì tuổi già. (The old man is bony because of old age.)

Synonyms

• Gaunt: Extremely thin and bony, often because of suffering or age.
• Emaciated: Abnormally thin or weak, especially due to illness or lack of food.
• Scrawny: Unattractively thin and bony.
• Skinny: Informal for very thin.

Related Idioms

• While "lõ lẽo" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in descriptive phrases highlighting poor health or poverty, such as "" (a person gaunt from hunger).