Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Flabby, flaccid: Describes flesh, muscle, or material that is excessively soft, lacking firmness, elasticity, or tone. It often implies an undesirable, weak, or limp state.
   • Limp, soggy: Can describe something that has lost its crispness or structural integrity, becoming soft and weak, like overcooked food or wet paper.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thịt lợn này quá nhẽo, không ngon. (This pork is too flabby, not tasty.)
  • Sau khi ngâm nước, tờ giấy trở nên nhẽo nhoẹt. (After soaking in water, the paper became limp and soggy.)
  • Cơ bắp của ông ấy đã nhẽo đi vì thiếu tập luyện. (His muscles have become flaccid due to lack of exercise.)

Advanced Usage

• "nhẽo nhèo": An intensified, often more colloquial form emphasizing a state of being very limp, soggy, or annoyingly flabby.
  • Bánh mì để lâu ngoài không khí ẩm sẽ bị nhẽo nhèo. (Bread left out in humid air will become completely soggy.)
• "nhẽo như bún": A simile meaning "as limp as rice noodles," used to describe something extremely soft and lacking firmness.
  • Rau luộc quá lâu, nhẽo như bún mất rồi. (The vegetables are overcooked; they're as limp as noodles.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhão (adj): Has a very similar meaning to "nhẽo," often used interchangeably for "soggy" or "mushy," especially for food or ground (e.g., muddy road).
• Mềm oặt / ẻo oặt (adj): Describes something very soft and drooping, lacking vitality or strength.
• Ọp ẹp (adj): Describes something thin and flabby, lacking substance or firmness.

Synonyms

• Flabby (mềm nhũn, ọp ẹp): Having loose, soft flesh; lacking firmness.
• Flaccid (nhũn, mềm nhão): Soft and hanging loosely; lacking stiffness.
• Limp (mềm oặt, không cứng): Not stiff or firm; lacking rigidity.
• Soggy (ướt nhão, ẩm ướt): Heavy with water or moisture; unpleasantly wet and soft.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Nói nhẽo": (Literally: to speak flabbily) To speak in a weak, unconvincing, or insipid manner.
  • Anh ta biện minh nhưng lý lẽ nói nhẽo quá, chẳng ai tin. (He made excuses, but his arguments were so weak/flimsy that no one believed him.)
• "Tính tình nhẽo": Describes a personality that is weak-willed, indecisive, or lacking in spirit.
  • Đừng có tính tình nhẽo như vậy, phải quyết đoán lên! (Don't be so weak-willed; you need to be more decisive!)

1. Flabby, flaccid
   • Em be mập nhưng thịt nhẽo
     the baby is plump but flabby