lênh khênh
Definition
- Adjective:
- Unwieldy tall and unsteady: Describes an object, structure, or sometimes a person that is excessively tall or high in relation to its base, making it unstable, shaky, or prone to tipping over.
- Gangling / Lanky: Can describe a person who is tall and thin in an awkward, ungraceful way.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cái kệ sách lênh khênh thế này rất nguy hiểm cho trẻ con. (This bookshelf is so unwieldy tall and unsteady; it's very dangerous for children.)
- Anh ta có dáng người lênh khênh. (He has a gangling/lanky figure.)
- Chiếc ghế lênh khênh ấy cuối cùng cũng đổ. (That unsteady, tall chair finally tipped over.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a negative connotation, implying that the height is impractical, inconvenient, or creates a hazard due to the lack of stability.
Variants and Related Words
- Chênh vênh (adj): Precarious, unstable (often in a physical or situational sense, can imply being on a height). While similar, focuses more on the precariousness than the excessive tallness.
- Ngôi nhà chênh vênh trên sườn núi. (The house is perched precariously on the mountainside.)
Synonyms
- Unstable: Not firmly fixed and likely to fall.
- Wobbly: Tending to move unsteadily from side to side.
- Gangling: Tall, thin, and awkward in movements.
- Top-heavy: Heavy at the top and likely to fall over.
Related Idioms
- While itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is used descriptively in phrases that highlight instability.
- Đồ lênh khênh dễ đổ. (Unwieldy things are easy to knock over.)