Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Prolonged, Dragging On: Describes a situation, task, or process that extends for an annoyingly long time without clear progress or resolution.
   • Tedious, Nagging: Refers to something persistent in an irritating, bothersome, or wearisome manner, making it hard to finish or get rid of.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Công việc này lay nhay mãi không xong. (This job keeps dragging on without being finished.)
  • Anh ta cứ lay nhay với cái vấn đề cũ đó. (He keeps nagging about that old issue.)
  • Cơn mưa lay nhay suốt cả ngày. (The rain drizzled/spotted on and off tediously all day.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe not only physical tasks but also abstract concepts like discussions, illnesses, or feelings that linger.
  • Cuộc thương lượng lay nhay đã hơn một tháng. (The negotiation has been dragging on for over a month.)
  • Cơn sốt lay nhay khiến cô ấy mệt mỏi. (The lingering fever made her tired.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lằng nhằng (adj): Similar meaning of being long-drawn-out, complicated, and annoying. Often used interchangeably with "lay nhay" but can imply more complexity or entanglement.
  • Chuyện lằng nhằng khó giải quyết. (The tangled/ complicated matter is hard to resolve.)
• Dây dưa (v): To procrastinate, to delay, or to leave something unresolved.
  • Đừng dây dưa, hãy giải quyết nó ngay. (Don't procrastinate, resolve it right away.)

Synonyms

• Kéo dài: To prolong, to drag out.
• Lê thê: Dragging on, trailing on (often for time or speech).
• Dai dẳng: Persistent, lingering (often for negative conditions).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Lay nhay mãi: To keep dragging on incessantly.
  • Công việc sửa nhà lay nhay mãi từ tháng trước. (The house repair work has kept dragging on since last month.)

Related Idioms

• While "lay nhay" itself is commonly used as a standalone descriptive word, it effectively conveys the sense of the idiom "to drag one's feet" in English, describing slow, reluctant, or prolonged action.