Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Worn, threadbare: Describes fabric or material that has become thin, frayed, or shabby from extensive use.
   • Faded, diminished: Can describe something whose intensity, sharpness, or quality has deteriorated over time.

2. Verb:

   • To become discouraged, to lose heart: To feel one's determination, courage, or enthusiasm weaken, especially in the face of difficulties.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Chiếc áo khoác này đã sờn ở cổ tay. (This jacket is worn at the cuffs.)
  • Lòng tin của anh ấy vào dự án đã sờn đi. (His faith in the project has faded.)

• Verb:

  • Dù thất bại nhiều lần, cô ấy vẫn không hề sờn lòng. (Despite many failures, she did not lose heart at all.)
  • Đừng sờn chí trước những thử thách. (Don't become discouraged in the face of challenges.)

Advanced Usage

• "sờn lòng": to become disheartened, to lose heart (a common collocation).

  • Nghe tin đó, ai nấy đều sờn lòng. (Hearing that news, everyone became disheartened.)

• "sờn mòn": to be worn down/out (emphasizes gradual deterioration).

  • Niềm đam mê theo năm tháng đã sờn mòn. (The passion has worn down over the years.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sờn rách (adj): worn-out and torn, tattered.

  • Quyển sách cũ sờn rách. (The old book is tattered.)

• Sờn chí (v): to lose will, to become dispirited.

  • Cậu ấy đã sờn chí và bỏ cuộc. (He became dispirited and quit.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Worn-out, frayed, shabby, faded.
• Verb: To be discouraged, to be daunted, to falter.

Related Idioms

• Khó khăn chẳng sờn: Undaunted by difficulties.

  • Với tinh thần khó khăn chẳng sờn, họ đã hoàn thành nhiệm vụ. (With a spirit undaunted by difficulties, they completed the mission.)

• Áo sờn vai, chữ sờn lòng: A saying implying that just as clothes wear at the shoulders, one's resolve can wear down (i.e., persistence can fade).

  • Câu chuyện của ông ấy là minh chứng cho câu "áo sờn vai, chữ sờn lòng". (His story is proof of the saying "clothes wear at the shoulders, resolve wears at the heart.")

adj

1. torn, threadbare

verb

1. to lose heart