Definition

1. Adjective (used predicatively):
   • To be beside oneself, to be out of one's wits: Describes a state of extreme, overwhelming emotion that causes a temporary loss of composure or calmness. It implies being flustered, frantic, or in a tizzy due to intense feeling.

Usage Notes

• Grammar: "Quýnh" is almost exclusively used after a stative verb (like - happy, - afraid) to form a compound adjective phrase (e.g., , ). It intensifies the emotion described by the preceding verb. It is rarely used alone as an independent word.
• Register: The word is colloquial and expressive, commonly used in spoken Vietnamese and informal writing.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tin con đỗ đại học, bà ấy mừng quýnh. (Hearing the news her child passed the university exam, she was beside herself with joy.)
  • Thấy con rắn, nó sợ quýnh bỏ chạy. (Seeing the snake, he was frightened out of his wits and ran away.)
  • Tìm mãi không thấy chìa khóa, anh ta sốt ruột quýnh lên. (After searching endlessly for the keys, he became frantically impatient.)

Advanced Usage

• The structure "[Emotion Verb] + quýnh + lên" is a common variant that emphasizes the sudden onset or escalation of the frantic state.
  • Đến giờ đi mà chưa xong việc, cô ấy cuống quýnh lên. (It was time to go but the work wasn't finished, so she got into a frantic panic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cuống quýnh (adj): To be flustered, panicked, in a frantic rush. This is a more common standalone compound word with a similar meaning.
  • Cô ấy luôn cuống quýnh mỗi khi có khách tới đột xuất. (She always gets flustered whenever guests arrive unexpectedly.)

Synonyms

• Frantic: Wildly excited due to worry or fear.
• Flustered: Agitated or confused.
• Beside oneself: In a state of overwhelming emotion.

Related Idioms

• While "quýnh" itself is a component of phrases rather than idioms, the pattern "[verb] quýnh" functions idiomatically to mean "to be extremely/extremely [verb]ed."
  • Mừng quýnh: To be overjoyed, thrilled.
  • Sợ quýnh: To be terrified, scared stiff.

1. Be beside oneself, be out of one's wits
   • Mừng quýnh
     To be beside oneself with joy
   • Sợ quýnh
     To be out of one's wits with fright, to be frightened out of one's wits