quắt queo
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Shriveled, withered, dried up: Describes something that has become dry, wrinkled, and contracted, often due to loss of moisture, heat, or age. It implies a state of being curled or twisted in on itself.
- Emaciated, gaunt: Can describe a person or body part that is extremely thin and bony, appearing shrunken.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Lá cây khô quắt queo dưới cái nắng mùa hè. (The leaves are shriveled up under the summer sun.)
- Bàn tay của ông lão gầy quắt queo. (The old man's hands are gaunt and bony.)
- Trái ớt đã héo quắt queo. (The chili pepper has withered and shriveled.)
Advanced Usage
- Used figuratively to describe something diminished or impoverished:
- Tâm hồn quắt queo vì thiếu vắng tình thương. (A soul shriveled from a lack of love.)
- Những con số quắt queo trong báo cáo tài chính. (The meager, shrunken numbers in the financial report.)
Variants and Related Words
- Quắt (adj): A shorter, more colloquial form with the same core meaning of being shriveled or withered.
- quả chanh khô quắt (a dried-up, shriveled lemon)
- Queo quắt (adj): A reduplicative form that emphasizes the state of being twisted and shriveled.
- Co quắt (adj): Describes a state of being curled or contracted tightly, often due to cold or fear.
- co quắt vì lạnh (to huddle/shiver from the cold)
Synonyms
- Khô héo: Withered, dried up.
- Teo tóp: Shrunken, atrophied.
- Còm nhom: Skinny, scrawny (specifically for people or animals).
Notes on Meaning
- The word strongly conveys an image of something that was once fuller or more plump but has now lost its vitality and form, becoming dry and contorted.
- It is often used for organic matter like plants, fruits, or body parts, but can be applied metaphorically.
- Shrivel up