Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be infatuated / To be blindly obsessed: To be so deeply and irrationally captivated by someone or something that one's judgment is clouded. It implies a state of being mentally clouded or blinded, often by desire, passion, or false beliefs.
   • To be bewitched / To be enchanted: To be under a powerful, often harmful, spell or influence that controls one's mind or actions.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta bị mê ám bởi vẻ đẹp của cô ấy. (He is infatuated/blinded by her beauty.)
  • Kẻ tội phạm hành động vì bị mê ám bởi tham vọng quyền lực. (The criminal acted because he was bewitched by ambitions for power.)
  • Cô ấy tin theo giáo phái đó một cách mê ám. (She follows that cult with blind obsession.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a negative connotation, suggesting a loss of reason or autonomy due to an overpowering influence.
• It can be used in both psychological contexts (obsession, infatuation) and in more supernatural or metaphorical contexts (bewitchment, being under a spell).

Variants and Related Words

• Mê muội (adj/verb): To be deluded; to be in a state of foolish ignorance or blindness, often due to false doctrines or superstition. It emphasizes a lack of enlightenment.

  • Họ sống trong mê muội. (They live in delusion.)

• Mê đắm (verb): To be deeply engrossed or passionately immersed in something, which can be positive (e.g., art) or negative. It is slightly less strong than "mê ám" in implying blinded judgment.

  • Cậu bé mê đắm trò chơi điện tử. (The boy is engrossed in video games.)

Synonyms

• Infatuated: Filled with foolish or unreasoning passion.
• Bewitched: Under a magical or irresistible influence.
• Blinded: Deprived of understanding or judgment.
• Obsessed: Preoccupied with a fixed idea or feeling.

Related Idioms

• Mê ám tâm trí: To have one's mind clouded/bewitched.

  • Lời nịnh hót mê ám tâm trí hắn. (The flattery clouded/bewitched his mind.)

• Bị mê ám bởi tiền tài: To be blinded by wealth.

  • Hắn bị mê ám bởi tiền tài mà bất chấp đạo đức. (He is blinded by wealth and disregards morality.)