Definition

1. Adjective:
   • To feel dizzy or overwhelmed, especially from heights: The primary meaning describes a sensation of vertigo, disorientation, or lightheadedness caused by looking down from a great height or being in a high, exposed place.
   • To feel overwhelmed or awestruck: Used figuratively to describe a feeling of being mentally or emotionally overwhelmed by something vast, impressive, or excessive, such as a large amount of money, grand architecture, or powerful emotions.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứng trên đỉnh tòa nhà cao tầng, tôi cảm thấy ngợp. (Standing on top of the skyscraper, I felt dizzy.)
  • Cô ấy ngợp trước sự xa hoa của cung điện. (She was overwhelmed by the opulence of the palace.)
  • Nhìn khoản tiền thưởng khổng lồ, anh ta thấy ngợp. (Looking at the huge bonus, he felt awestruck.)

Advanced Usage

• The feeling of often combines physical sensation (vertigo) with psychological impact (awe), making it a versatile word for describing intense, overpowering experiences.
• It can describe the effect of negative stimuli (e.g., fear of heights) or positive ones (e.g., breathtaking beauty).

Variants and Related Words

• Choáng ngợp (adj): to be stunned, overwhelmed, or dazzled. This is a common compound that intensifies the feeling.
  • Quy mô của công trình kiến trúc khiến du khách choáng ngợp. (The scale of the architectural work left tourists stunned.)

Synonyms

• Dizzy: Having a sensation of spinning and loss of balance.
• Overwhelmed: Feeling buried or defeated by an amount of something.
• Awestruck: Filled with a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

Related Idioms

• While itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the concept is central to expressions describing being overwhelmed by scale or sensation, often using the compound choáng ngợp.

1. Feel dizzy (at altitudes)
   • Đứng trên núi cao, nhìn xuống thấy ngợp
     To feel dizzy when looking down from a high mountain