Definition

1. Verb:
   • To shrivel up: To become smaller, wrinkled, and dried out, often due to loss of moisture, heat, or age. This is the primary meaning, describing the physical state of objects, especially organic matter like fruit or skin.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chuối héo quắt. (The banana shriveled up.)
  • Quả táo để lâu ngoài nắng đã quắt lại. (The apple left long in the sun has shriveled up.)
  • Da tay ông lão quắt lại vì tuổi tác. (The old man's skin shriveled up due to age.)

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: Can describe something that has become extremely small, thin, or withered in appearance, often implying a pitiful or diminished state.
  • Khuôn mặt nó quắt lại vì đói. (His face shriveled/withered from hunger.)
  • Cây cối quắt queo vì hạn hán. (The trees are shriveled/withered due to drought.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quắt queo (adj): Withered, shriveled, and often twisted. This adjective form emphasizes a state of being completely dried and contorted.
  • Những chiếc lá khô quắt queo. (The dry, withered leaves.)

Synonyms

• Shrivel: To contract and wrinkle.
• Wither: To become dry and shriveled.
• Shrink: To become smaller in size.

Related Idioms

• Quắt như ô mai: As shriveled as a dried plum. This idiom vividly compares something to a traditionally dried and wrinkled fruit to emphasize its shrunken state.
  • Bàn tay bà cụ quắt như ô mai. (The old woman's hand was as shriveled as a dried plum.)

verb

1. to shrived up
   • chuối héo quắt
     shrivelled up banana