lẳng ngẳng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Very tall and thin, lanky: Describes a person, animal, or object that is excessively tall and slender in an often awkward or unattractive way.
- Gangling, spindly: Emphasizes a combination of height and a lack of substantial build or grace.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thằng bé mới lớn nên trông lẳng ngẳng. (The boy is in his growth spurt so he looks all lanky.)
- Cái cây lẳng ngẳng không cho nhiều bóng mát. (The spindly tree doesn't provide much shade.)
- Nó cao lẳng ngẳng như một con hạc. (He is tall and gangly like a crane.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used in a slightly informal or descriptive, sometimes mildly critical, tone to comment on physical appearance.
- It can imply a sense of imbalance or frailty due to the excessive height relative to thinness.
Variants and Related Words
- Lẳng khẳng: A direct synonym with identical meaning (very tall and thin).
- Dáng người nó lẳng khẳng. (His figure is very tall and thin.)
Synonyms
- Lanky: Tall and thin.
- Gangling: Awkwardly tall and thin.
- Spindly: Long or tall and thin, often appearing weak.
- Rangy: Tall and long-limbed.
Related Idioms
- While "lẳng ngẳng" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in descriptive comparisons.
- Cao lẳng ngẳng như cây sào: As tall and thin as a pole.