Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Mentally tiring / Mind-wearying: Describes an activity or task that requires significant mental effort, concentration, or thought, leading to mental fatigue or exhaustion.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Giải bài toán này thật sự nhọc óc. (Solving this math problem is truly mind-wearying.)
  • Công việc lập kế hoạch chi tiết rất nhọc óc. (The work of detailed planning is very mentally tiring.)
  • Đừng suy nghĩ nhọc óc về vấn đề ấy nữa. (Don't tire your mind thinking about that problem anymore.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can function descriptively, often following verbs like "là" (to be), "cảm thấy" (to feel), or "thấy" (to find).
  • Tôi thấy việc học ngoại ngữ này nhọc óc quá. (I find learning this foreign language too mentally exhausting.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhọc lòng (adj): Heart-wearying; describes something that causes worry or emotional distress.

  • Chuyện gia đình làm bà ấy nhọc lòng. (Family matters make her heart-weary.)

• Nhọc nhằn (adj): Arduous, laborious; describes general physical or mental hardship and toil.

  • Hành trình nhọc nhằn nhưng đầy ý nghĩa. (An arduous but meaningful journey.)

Synonyms

• Mentally taxing: Requiring a lot of mental effort.
• Brain-draining: Causing mental exhaustion (informal).
• Laborious (of thought): Requiring considerable mental work.

Related Idioms

• Đau đầu nhức óc: A stronger idiom meaning "to have a splitting headache" from thinking too hard, emphasizing frustration or difficulty.

  • Vấn đề hóc búa này đúng là đau đầu nhức óc. (This thorny problem is a real headache-inducer.)

• Vắt óc suy nghĩ: To wring one's brain thinking; to think extremely hard to find a solution.

  • Anh ấy đang vắt óc suy nghĩ tìm ý tưởng mới. (He is wringing his brain to find a new idea.)

1. Tire one's mind