lạnh gáy
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a chill down one's spine; feeling a sudden, intense cold or fear: "lạnh gáy" describes the physical sensation of coldness or the emotional feeling of intense fear that makes one's neck or back feel cold. It often implies a reaction to something frightening, eerie, or shocking.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Nghe câu chuyện ma, tôi cảm thấy lạnh gáy. (Listening to the ghost story, I felt a chill down my spine.)
- Bầu không khí trong ngôi nhà hoang khiến ai cũng lạnh gáy. (The atmosphere in the abandoned house gave everyone the creeps.)
- Câu nói đe dọa của hắn làm tôi lạnh gáy. (His threatening statement sent a shiver down my spine.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe profound fear or dread: While it originates from a physical sensation, it is commonly used to emphasize deep psychological fear or horror.
- Nhìn ánh mắt của kẻ đó, tôi lạnh gáy. (Looking into that person's eyes, I was terrified.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lạnh người (adj): To feel chilled all over (body); to be scared stiff. This is a close synonym mentioned in the reference.
- Câu chuyện khiến tôi lạnh người. (The story made my blood run cold.)
- Rùng mình (verb): To shiver, to shudder (from cold or fear).
- Tôi rùng mình khi nghe tiếng hú. (I shuddered when I heard the howl.)
Synonyms
- Sợ hãi (adj/verb): To be afraid, frightened.
- Khiếp sợ (adj/verb): To be terrified, horrified.
- Ớn lạnh (adj): To feel a creepy chill (often from fear or disgust).
Related Phrases (Idiomatic Expressions)
- Làm lạnh gáy: To cause a chill down the spine; to give someone the creeps.
- Bộ phim kinh dị đó thực sự làm lạnh gáy. (That horror movie really sends chills down your spine.)
- Cảm giác lạnh gáy: The feeling of a spine-chilling fear.
- Cô ấy có cảm giác lạnh gáy khi một mình trong bóng tối. (She had a spine-chilling feeling when alone in the dark.)