quằn quẹo
Definition
- Adjective:
- Twisted, contorted, bent out of shape: Describes something that is not straight, having many bends, curves, or twists, often in an irregular or unnatural way.
- Writhing, squirming: Describes the twisting and turning movements of a body, often due to pain or discomfort.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Con đường lên núi rất quằn quẹo. (The mountain road is very winding/twisty.)
- Cơn đau bụng khiến nó quằn quẹo trên giường. (The stomach ache made him writhe/squirm on the bed.)
- Sợi dây thép bị quằn quẹo không thể sử dụng được. (The wire is bent/twisted out of shape and unusable.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe abstract concepts like a complicated, non-straightforward situation or narrative.
- Câu chuyện của anh ấy nghe rất quằn quẹo và khó hiểu. (His story sounds very convoluted/twisted and hard to understand.)
Variants and Related Words
- Quặn quẹo: A variant with identical meaning and usage.
- Quẹo (verb, Southern Vietnamese dialect): To turn (e.g., while driving).
- Quằn (verb): To writhe, to contort (often from pain).
- Queo (adjective): Bent, crooked.
Synonyms
- Ngoằn ngoèo: Winding, serpentine (often for roads, rivers).
- Cong queo: Bent, crooked.
- Uốn lượn: To curve, to wind gracefully.
- Vặn vẹo: To twist, to contort.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Đau quằn quại: To be in writhing pain (Note: 'quằn quại' is a stronger, more intense form).
- Cô ấy đau quằn quại trong bệnh viện. (She was writhing in pain in the hospital.)
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như quăn queo
