Definition

1. Adjective:
   • To miss one's chance / to be past one's prime: The primary meaning describes a person, especially a woman, who has missed the opportune or socially expected time for something, most commonly marriage, due to delay or inaction.
   • To be outdated / to be out of season: Can describe an opportunity, trend, or item that is no longer timely, relevant, or advantageous.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy sợ mình đã lỡ thời. (She is afraid she has missed her chance / is past her prime.)
  • Chiếc máy ảnh này giờ đã lỡ thời rồi. (This camera model is now outdated.)
  • Theo quan niệm xưa, con gái hai mươi tuổi chưa chồng là lỡ thời. (According to old beliefs, a daughter unmarried by twenty was past her prime.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a sympathetic or regretful tone regarding missed social or biological timelines.
• It can be used more broadly beyond marriage to describe missing any optimal period, such as for career advancement or investment.

Variants and Related Words

• Lỡ làng (adj): to be failed or ruined, often referring to plans or a woman's marriage prospects.
  • Mối tình đầu của cô ấy lỡ làng. (Her first love came to nothing.)
• Lỡ dịp (v): to miss an occasion or opportunity.
  • Tôi lỡ dịp mua vé giảm giá. (I missed the chance to buy discount tickets.)
• Lỡ thời vận (adj): to have missed one's period of good fortune.
  • Ông ấy cảm thấy mình lỡ thời vận. (He feels he has missed his lucky break.)

Synonyms

• Past one's prime: Beyond the best period of one's life or usefulness.
• Outdated: No longer current or modern.
• Missed the boat: To have missed an opportunity.

Related Idioms

• Lỡ bước sang ngang: A euphemism for a woman who missed the chance for a first marriage and marries someone already married or under less ideal circumstances.
  • Bà ấy lỡ bước sang ngang, làm vợ hai của một viên chức. (She married as a second wife to an official.)
• Lỡ kỳ / lỡ hẹn: To miss an appointment or a scheduled time.
  • Anh ta lỡ hẹn với khách hàng quan trọng. (He missed an appointment with an important client.)