lão hủ

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Obsolete and useless: Describes something (or someone) that is extremely old, outdated, and no longer of any practical value or effectiveness. It implies a state of being antiquated beyond usefulness.
    • Hidebound / fossilized: Often used to describe a person with extremely old-fashioned, rigid ideas and attitudes that are resistant to any change or progress.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • Những tư tưởng lão hủ đó cần phải được loại bỏ. (Those obsolete ideas need to be eliminated.)
    • Ông ấy là một người lão hủ, chẳng chịu tiếp thu cái mới. (He is a hidebound person, refusing to accept anything new.)
    • Chiếc máy này đã hoàn toàn lão hủ. (This machine is completely obsolete and useless.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is strongly pejorative. It is not a neutral descriptor of age but a criticism implying that something is not just old, but uselessly and stubbornly out of date.
Variants and Related Words
  • Hủ lậu (adj): Synonymous with "lão hủ," meaning antiquated, bigoted, and backward.
    • Lối sống hủ lậu (a backward way of life)
Synonyms
  • Obsolete: No longer produced or used; out of date.
  • Archaic: Very old or old-fashioned.
  • Outmoded: No longer fashionable or current.
  • Hidebound: Unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention.
Related Idioms
  • While "lão hủ" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it is conceptually related to criticisms of stubborn, outdated thinking.