Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Moping; melancholy; sorrowful: A state of deep, lingering sadness or gloom, often characterized by quiet introspection and a lack of energy or desire to express one's feelings outwardly.
   • Afflicted; pained: Feeling burdened by grief or sorrow.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau biến cố, anh ấy trở nên sầu muộn. (After the incident, he became moping and melancholy.)
  • Gương mặt sầu muộn của cô ấy khiến mọi người lo lắng. (Her sorrowful face made everyone worried.)
  • Một nỗi niềm sầu muộn khó giãi bày. (A feeling of deep sorrow that is hard to express.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used in literary, poetic, or formal contexts to describe a profound, internalized sadness rather than a temporary, acute sadness.
• Can describe an atmosphere or mood, not just a person.
  • Không gian sầu muộn của buổi chiều tà. (The melancholy atmosphere of the dusk.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sầu (adj/n): Sorrow, sadness. Often used in compound words.
  • Sầu não (adj): Grief-stricken, deeply distressed.
• Muộn phiền (adj): Worried and sad; troubled.

Synonyms

• Melancholy: A feeling of pensive sadness.
• Despondent: In low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
• Gloomy: Causing or feeling depression or despondency.
• Heartsick: Overwhelmed with sorrow or disappointment.

Related Idioms

• Sầu riêng: This is a homophone for the fruit "durian." It is a pun, as "sầu riêng" literally can be parsed as "private sorrow," but its primary meaning is the fruit's name.
• Mang nặng sầu muộn: To be heavily burdened with sorrow.
  • Anh ấy mang nặng sầu muộn sau cuộc chia ly. (He was heavily burdened with sorrow after the breakup.)

adj

1. moping