Definition

1. Adjective (used predicatively):
   • Half-dead; within an inch of one's life: Describes a state of being severely beaten, exhausted, or battered to the point of near collapse or unconsciousness. It emphasizes extreme physical punishment or fatigue.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó bị đánh nhừ tử. (He was beaten half-dead.)
  • Làm việc cả ngày, tôi mệt nhừ tử. (Working all day, I am exhausted within an inch of my life.)
  • Chiếc xe cũ kỹ bị hỏng nhừ tử. (The old car is broken down completely/worn to a frazzle.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in informal, colloquial contexts, often to add dramatic emphasis to the severity of a beating or the degree of exhaustion.
• It frequently follows verbs like "đánh" (to hit/beat), "mệt" (to be tired), or "hỏng" (to be broken) to intensify their meaning.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhừ (adj): Overcooked, mushy (for food); or thoroughly beaten/worn out. "Nhừ tử" is an intensified form of this state.
  • Thịt kho nhừ. (The braised meat is very tender/falling apart.)

Synonyms

• Half-dead: Severely injured or exhausted.
• Within an inch of one's life: Beaten to the point of near death.
• Thoroughly battered: Completely and severely beaten.
• Worn to a frazzle: Extremely exhausted.

Related Idioms

• Đánh cho nhừ tử: To beat (someone) to a pulp; to flog within an inch of one's life. This is the most common collocation.
  • Tên cướp bị cảnh sát đánh cho nhừ tử. (The robber was beaten to a pulp by the police.)

1. Half-dead within an inch of one's life
   • Đánh nhừ tử
     To flog someone within an inch of his life