mắt vọ
Definition
- Noun:
- Lynx-eyed / Argus-eyed: An eye that is exceptionally sharp, keen, and observant, often used to describe someone who notices even the smallest details or sees things others miss. It implies a penetrating, watchful, and sometimes overly inquisitive gaze.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Bà cụ có đôi mắt vọ, chẳng việc gì qua được. (The old woman has lynx eyes; nothing gets past her.)
- Tên trộm phải đối mặt với đôi mắt vọ của người bảo vệ. (The thief faced the Argus eyes of the guard.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a figurative and slightly literary sense to describe a person's characteristic visual acuity, rather than the physical eye itself. It carries connotations of being watchful, suspicious, or difficult to deceive.
Variants and Related Words
Mắt tinh (n): sharp eyes, keen eyesight.
- Người thợ săn có đôi mắt tinh. (The hunter has sharp eyes.)
Mắt xoi mói (n): prying eyes, eyes that scrutinize intrusively.
- Cô ấy không thích đôi mắt xoi mói của hàng xóm. (She doesn't like the prying eyes of the neighbors.)
Synonyms
- Keen-eyed: Having very good eyesight.
- Sharp-sighted: Quick to notice things.
- Observant: Good at noticing things.
- Eagle-eyed: Having extremely sharp eyesight.
Related Idioms
Mắt sáng như sao: Eyes bright like stars (often implying intelligence or alertness, not necessarily the sharp scrutiny of "mắt vọ").
- Đứa trẻ có đôi mắt sáng như sao. (The child has eyes bright like stars.)
Mắt như mắt lươn: Eyes like eel's eyes (often implying shifty, untrustworthy eyes, which is different from the sharp observation of "mắt vọ").
- Kẻ gian có đôi mắt như mắt lươn. (The crook has eyes like an eel's.)