Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unkempt, disheveled, messy: Describes hair, fur, or a general appearance that is tangled, ruffled, and not neat or smooth.
   • Shaggy, scruffy: Refers to something, especially hair or fur, that is thick, coarse, and sticking out in an untidy way.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau khi thức dậy, tóc cô ấy trông rất lúi xùi. (After waking up, her hair looked very messy/disheveled.)
  • Con chó bị ướt mưa, bộ lông của nó lúi xùi hết. (The dog got wet in the rain, its fur became all shaggy/tangled.)
  • Anh ta mặc bộ đồ cũ và để tóc lúi xùi. (He wore old clothes and had scruffy hair.)

Advanced Usage

• "đầu tóc lúi xùi": a common collocation meaning "messy/disheveled hair".
  • Cậu bé chạy chơi ngoài vườn về với đầu tóc lúi xùi. (The boy ran back from playing in the garden with messy hair.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lùi xùi: This is a variant spelling/pronunciation with the same meaning as "lúi xùi". It is considered interchangeable.
  • Tóc nó lùi xùi chưa kịp chải. (His hair is messy, not yet combed.)

Synonyms

• Bù xù: (adj) disheveled, tousled, unkempt. Often used interchangeably with "lúi xùi".
• Rối bù: (adj) very tangled, matted (usually for hair).
• Xù xì: (adj) rough, coarse (to the touch); can sometimes imply an unkempt look.

Antonyms

• Gọn gàng: (adj) neat, tidy.
• Phẳng phiu: (adj) smooth, flat (for hair or fabric).
• Chải chuốt: (adj) well-groomed.

Notes on Usage

• "Lúi xùi" is primarily used in spoken and informal written Vietnamese to describe a physical state of untidiness, most commonly related to hair or fur.
• It carries a neutral to slightly negative connotation, implying a lack of care or an accidental state (like after sleep or wind).
• The variant "lùi xùi" is equally common, and the choice between them is often a matter of regional preference or habit.