Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Completely silent; utterly quiet: Describes a state or environment where there is an absolute absence of sound, often implying a deep, profound, or somewhat eerie stillness.
   • Severed; cut off completely: Describes something that has been decisively and totally disconnected or interrupted.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cánh rừng im lặng ngăn ngắt. (The forest was completely silent.)
  • Sau lời tuyên bố, mọi liên lạc bị cắt đứt ngăn ngắt. (After the announcement, all communication was severed completely.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "ngăn ngắt" is often used to intensify the quality of silence or disconnection, giving it a literary or emphatic tone. It is more common in written Vietnamese than in everyday speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Ngắt (v): to cut off, to interrupt, to hang up (a phone call).
  • Cô ấy ngắt lời tôi. (She interrupted me.)
• Im ngắt (adj): silent, still (similar to "ngăn ngắt" but perhaps slightly less intense).
  • Căn phòng im ngắt. (The room was silent.)

Synonyms

• Silent: making no sound.
• Still: without movement or sound.
• Severed: cut off completely.

Related Idioms

• Im lặng ngăn ngắt: A common collocation emphasizing deep silence.
  • Bữa ăn trôi qua trong im lặng ngăn ngắt. (The meal passed in utter silence.)