Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Full-bodied and slovenly: Describes a person, typically a woman, who has become stout or corpulent in an unshapely, disproportionate, and often untidy manner. The term strongly implies a loss of former physical form and grace, frequently associated with changes after childbirth.
   • Bulky and unkempt: Conveys a sense of being heavily built or overweight with a concomitant lack of care in appearance or posture.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chị ấy trông thật sồ sề sau khi sinh con. (She looks very full-bodied and slovenly after giving birth.)
  • Mới hai con đã sồ sề. (To be full-bodied and slovenly after having only two children.)
  • Dáng người sồ sề khiến cô ấy mất tự tin. (Her bulky and unkempt figure made her lose confidence.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used to describe physical appearance and carries a negative, somewhat critical connotation. It is more descriptive than clinical.
• It is most commonly applied to women, particularly in the context of post-pregnancy bodily changes, but can be used for anyone whose physique is perceived as disproportionately large and poorly maintained.

Variants and Related Words

• Sề (adj): A related, colloquial root implying heaviness, sagginess, or a bulky, ungraceful state.
  • Ngồi sề xuống ghế. (To plop down heavily onto the chair.)

Synonyms

• Stout: Having a bulky or fleshy build.
• Corpulent: Having a large, bulky body.
• Dumpy: Short and stout in a unattractive way.
• Unkempt: Having an untidy or disheveled appearance.

Related Idioms

• While "sồ sề" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, its meaning contributes to descriptive phrases about physical decline or neglect of appearance, often tied to life events like childbirth or aging.

1. Full-bodied and slovenly
   • Mới hai con đã sồ sề
     to be full-bodied and slovenly after having only two children