Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be in a deep, heavy sleep: Refers to a state of sleep so profound that the sleeper is difficult to rouse, often due to extreme fatigue, illness, or the influence of medication.
   • To be lethargic: Describes a pathological state of drowsiness or stupor resembling deep sleep, often associated with illness or medical conditions.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa bé sốt cao và ngủ lịm cả ngày. (The child had a high fever and was in a deep, lethargic sleep all day.)
  • Sau chuyến đi dài, anh ấy về nhà và ngủ lịm đi. (After the long trip, he came home and fell into a heavy, deep sleep.)
  • Bệnh nhân ngủ lịm sau khi uống thuốc giảm đau mạnh. (The patient fell into a stupor after taking strong pain medication.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a connotation of an unnatural or worrisome depth of sleep, implying a lack of normal responsiveness.
• It is frequently used in medical or caregiving contexts to describe a patient's state.

Variants and Related Words

• Ngủ sâu (v): to sleep deeply (a more general, neutral term for deep sleep).
  • Một giấc ngủ sâu giúp phục hồi cơ thể. (A deep sleep helps restore the body.)
• Hôn mê (v/n): to be in a coma; a coma (a more severe, unconscious medical state).
  • Bệnh nhân bị hôn mê sau tai nạn. (The patient was in a coma after the accident.)

Synonyms

• To be in a stupor: A state of near-unconsciousness.
• To be lethargic: A state of sluggishness and lack of energy.
• To be in a deep slumber: A literary term for very deep sleep.

Related Idioms

• While "ngủ lịm" itself is not typically part of a common idiom, its meaning relates to expressions concerning exhaustion:
  • Ngủ như chết: to sleep like the dead (an idiom for very deep sleep).

    • Cậu ấy làm việc quá sức, tối về ngủ như chết. (He overworked himself and slept like the dead when he got home.)