loi ngoi
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: 1. To struggle to emerge or surface (especially from water): Describes the weak, disjointed, or strenuous effort to rise above the surface of water or another medium. 2. To strive laboriously to escape a difficult situation or condition: Used figuratively to describe a slow, difficult struggle to improve one's circumstances or to get out of a predicament.
Usage Examples
Literal (from water):
- Nó cố loi ngoi lên khỏi mặt nước. (He struggled to surface from the water.)
- Con cá bị thương vẫn cố loi ngoi. (The injured fish kept trying to struggle to the surface.)
Figurative (from difficulty):
- Anh ấy đang cố loi ngoi khỏi cảnh nợ nần. (He is striving laboriously to get out of debt.)
- Công ty mới chỉ đang loi ngoi sau khủng hoảng. (The company is just barely struggling to recover after the crisis.)
Advanced Usage
"loi ngoi trong...": to struggle within (a difficult situation).
- loi ngoi trong nghèo khó (to struggle in poverty)
"cố loi ngoi": to try hard to struggle/emerge. This is a very common collocation emphasizing effort.
- cố loi ngoi tìm lối thoát (to strive hard to find a way out)
Variants and Related Words
- Loi thoi (Adjective/Adverb): Sparse, scattered, intermittent. (Note: While some dictionaries list this as a related or variant meaning of "loi ngoi", it is primarily used to describe things being few and far between, e.g., - intermittent drizzle).
- Ngoi lên (Verb): To rise up, to surface. This is a more general and stronger term than "loi ngoi", which implies a more desperate, weaker struggle.
Synonyms
- Vùng vẫy: to flounder, to struggle (often more vigorous and chaotic than "loi ngoi").
- Vật lộn: to wrestle, to grapple with (emphasizes a tough, ongoing fight).
- Chật vật: to have a hard time, to struggle with difficulty (focuses on the arduous nature).
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Loi ngoi như cá nằm trên cạn: To struggle like a fish out of water. This idiom vividly describes a desperate, futile struggle in an unsuitable environment.
- Đời sống loi ngoi: A hand-to-mouth existence. Describes a life of constant struggle just to meet basic needs.