lễu nghễu
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lanky and awkward: Describes a person, typically tall and thin, who moves or stands in an ungainly, uncoordinated, or clumsy manner. The term emphasizes an awkward physical appearance or posture due to excessive height or length of limbs.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thằng bé cao lễu nghễu nhưng còn vụng về. (The boy is lanky and awkward but still clumsy.)
- Nó đứng lễu nghễu ở góc phòng, trông rất ngượng nghịu. (He stood awkwardly tall in the corner of the room, looking very embarrassed.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used in a mildly critical or humorous tone to describe someone's gawky appearance, especially during adolescence when growth spurts can lead to uncoordinated movement.
Variants and Related Words
- Lều nghều (adj): A variant spelling with the same meaning: tall and gawky.
- Dáng người lều nghều khó di chuyển trong không gian chật hẹp. (A gawky figure is hard to move in a tight space.)
Synonyms
- Gangly: Tall, thin, and awkward.
- Lanky: Tall and thin in an ungraceful way.
- Gawky: Nervously awkward and ungainly.
Related Idioms
- While "lễu nghễu" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly paired with the adjective "cao" (tall) for emphasis, forming the descriptive phrase "cao lễu nghễu" (awkwardly tall).