Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Filthy, mucky, grimy: Describes something that is extremely dirty, soiled, or stained, often with a wet, sticky, or viscous substance like mud, grease, or grime. It implies a repulsive, unclean state.
   • Sordid, morally dirty: Can be used metaphorically to describe actions, affairs, or situations that are morally corrupt, dishonorable, or tainted.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (literal):
  • Chân tay nhơ nhớp những bùn. (His hands and feet were filthy with mud.)
  • Sau khi sửa xe, áo anh ấy nhơ nhớp dầu mỡ. (After fixing the car, his shirt was grimy with grease.)
• Adjective (figurative):
  • Vụ tham nhũng đó đã để lại một vết nhơ nhớp trong lịch sử. (That corruption case left a sordid stain on history.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often conveys a stronger sense of disgust than simpler words for "dirty" (like "bẩn"). It suggests a pervasive, unpleasant dirtiness that is difficult to clean.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhớp (adj): Dirty, greasy. Often used similarly but can be slightly less intense than "nhơ nhớp."
  • Mặt bàn nhớp mỡ. (The tabletop is greasy.)
• Nhơ nhuốc (adj): Dirty, squalid; often used more for moral filth or disgrace.
  • Hành động nhơ nhuốc. (A despicable action.)

Synonyms

• Filthy: Very dirty.
• Grimy: Covered with ingrained dirt.
• Sordid: Involving immoral or dishonorable actions.
• Mucky: Covered with muck or dirt.

Related Idioms

• While "nhơ nhớp" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it is used in vivid descriptive phrases to emphasize extreme dirtiness or moral corruption, as shown in the examples.

1. Filthy, mucky
   • Chân tay nhơ nhớp những bùn
     To have one's hands and feel all mucky with mud