Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Dishevelled, tangled, messy (especially of hair): Describes hair that is extremely messy, unkempt, and tangled, often in a wild or unruly state.
   • Chaotic, confused, in a tangle: Can be used metaphorically to describe a situation, story, or thoughts that are extremely complicated, confused, and difficult to sort out.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sáng ngủ dậy, tóc cô ấy rối bù. (When she woke up in the morning, her hair was completely dishevelled.)
  • Câu chuyện anh ấy kể rối bù, chẳng ai hiểu gì cả. (The story he told was a tangled mess; no one understood anything.)
  • Sau trận bão, khu vườn trở nên rối bù. (After the storm, the garden became a tangled mess.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đầu tóc rối bù": A common collocation emphasizing dishevelled hair.

  • Cô bé chạy vào nhà với đầu tóc rối bù. (The little girl ran into the house with her hair all tangled up.)

• Used metaphorically for complex situations:

  • Mối quan hệ giữa họ ngày càng rối bù. (The relationship between them is becoming increasingly tangled/complicated.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rối (adj): Tangled, messy. A more general and slightly less intense term than "rối bù".

  • Sợi dây bị rối. (The string is tangled.)

• Rối tung (adj): Very tangled, all in a tangle. Similar in intensity to "rối bù".

  • Căn phòng rối tung sau bữa tiệc. (The room was in a complete mess after the party.)

• Rối rắm (adj): Complicated, intricate (usually for abstract things like problems, situations).

  • Vấn đề này thật rối rắm. (This problem is really complicated.)

Synonyms

• Bù xù (adj): Shaggy, dishevelled (often for hair or fur).
• Lộn xộn (adj): Disorderly, messy (for both physical things and situations).
• Hỗn độn (adj): Chaotic, in chaos.

Related Idioms

• "Rối như tơ vò": As tangled as a silkworm's cocoon; meaning extremely complicated or confused.

  • Công việc giấy tờ rối như tơ vò. (The paperwork is as tangled as a silkworm's cocoon.)

• "Rối beng" (colloquial): A variant with similar meaning, emphasizing a state of extreme mess or confusion.

  • Mọi thứ rối beng cả lên. (Everything is in a complete muddle.)

1. Dishevelled, ruffed (of hair)