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.

verb

1. to creep up, to crowl up