Definition

Adjective: - Unseemly, unpleasant to look at: Describes something that is visually jarring, offensive, or causes discomfort to the observer. It implies a violation of visual harmony or propriety. - Eyesore: Something that is ugly or disagreeable to look at.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Căn nhà màu sắc loè loẹt ấy trông thật nghịch mắt. (That garishly colored house looks truly unseemly.)
  • Kiểu trang trí lộn xộn này rất nghịch mắt. (This chaotic style of decoration is very unpleasant to the eye.)
  • Ăn mặc lôi thôi lếch thếch ra đường trông nghịch mắt lắm. (Going out dressed sloppily looks very unseemly.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used to express subjective disapproval of an appearance, not just objective ugliness. It carries a connotation of being irritating or bothersome to look at.
• Can be used in comparative forms: (more unseemly), (the most unseemly).
• "trông thấy nghịch mắt": to find something visually offensive upon seeing it.
  • Cảnh tượng ấy trông thấy nghịch mắt. (That scene is offensive to look at.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nghịch (adj/verb): Can mean mischievous, contrary, or to play/act against. In , it carries the sense of "acting against" the eye's comfort.
• Khó coi (adj): Unpleasant to look at, unsightly. A close synonym, though can imply a stronger sense of active irritation.
• Chói mắt (adj): Dazzling, glaring to the eyes (often due to bright light). Shares the concept of visual discomfort but from a different cause.

Synonyms

• Khó chịu (về mặt thị giác): Uncomfortable (visually).
• Phản cảm: Offensive, causing a negative reaction (broader, can be for non-visual things too).
• Xấu xí: Ugly.
• Lố bịch: Ridiculous, ludicrous (in appearance).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Nghịch tai": Unpleasant to the ear, jarring to hear. This is a parallel construction to , applying the concept to sound.
  • Giọng nói chói tai ấy nghe thật nghịch tai. (That shrill voice sounds very unpleasant to the ear.)
• While itself is a fixed phrase, it can be part of larger descriptive sentences criticizing appearance.

1. Unseemly
   • Ăn mặc trông nghịch mắt quá
     To be dressed in a very unseemly way