mệt nhoài
Definition
- Adjective:
- Completely exhausted, utterly worn out: Describes a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue, beyond ordinary tiredness. It implies being drained of all energy.
- Weary to the point of collapse: Suggests fatigue so severe it affects one's ability to function normally.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Làm việc cả ngày dưới trời nắng, tôi cảm thấy mệt nhoài. (Working all day under the sun, I feel utterly exhausted.)
- Sau cuộc họp căng thẳng, cô ấy về nhà với tâm trạng mệt nhoài. (After the stressful meeting, she went home with a weary mind.)
- Đội bóng lết ra sân, trông họ mệt nhoài sau trận đấu dài. (The team dragged themselves off the field; they looked completely worn out after the long match.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "mệt nhoài" is often used for dramatic emphasis. It is stronger than "mệt" (tired) and "mệt mỏi" (weary). It frequently appears in descriptive writing and spoken language to convey a deep sense of depletion.
- It can describe both physical exhaustion (from labor, sport) and mental/emotional exhaustion (from stress, worry).
Variants and Related Words
- Mệt (adj): tired, fatigued.
- Tôi hơi mệt. (I am a bit tired.)
- Mệt mỏi (adj): weary, fatigued (often with a connotation of prolonged strain).
- Sự chờ đợi khiến anh ấy mệt mỏi. (The waiting made him weary.)
- Kiệt sức (adj): exhausted, depleted of strength (can be synonymous with but may sound more clinical).
- Vận động viên bị kiệt sức. (The athlete is exhausted.)
Synonyms
- Exhausted: Drained of strength or energy.
- Worn out: Extremely tired, especially from hard work.
- Fatigued: A state of extreme tiredness.
- Drained: Emptied of energy or vitality.
- Spent: Having used up all one's energy.
Related Idioms and Expressions
- Mệt đứt hơi / Mệt thở không ra hơi: So tired one can't breathe; exhausted to the point of breathlessness. This is conceptually similar to but more colloquial and vivid.
- Chạy bộ lên dốc, tôi mệt đứt hơi. (Running up the hill, I was exhausted and breathless.)