Definition

1. Idiomatic phrase:
   • To make one's hair stand on end: To experience a sudden, intense feeling of fear, horror, or extreme creepiness that causes a physical sensation as if the hair on the back of one's neck is standing up.

Usage Examples

• Idiomatic phrase:
  • Câu chuyện ma đó nghe mà sởn tóc gáy. (That ghost story is hair-raising.)
  • Cảnh trong phim kinh dị khiến tôi sởn tóc gáy. (The scene in the horror movie made my hair stand on end.)
  • Giọng nói từ trong bóng tối vang lên, sởn tóc gáy. (A voice echoed from the darkness, sending shivers down my spine.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost exclusively used to describe a reaction to something frightening, eerie, or deeply unsettling. It emphasizes a visceral, physical reaction to fear.

Variants and Related Words

• Dựng tóc gáy: This is a more literal variant with a very similar meaning, also meaning "to make the hair on the back of the neck stand up."
  • Âm thanh ấy làm dựng tóc gáy. (That sound was spine-chilling.)

Synonyms

• Hair-raising: Causing great fear or horror.
• Spine-chilling: Causing a sudden feeling of terror or excitement.
• Blood-curdling: Extremely frightening or horrifying.

Related Idioms

• Nổi da gà: To get goosebumps. This describes a similar physical reaction but can be caused by fear, cold, or strong emotion.
  • Tôi nổi da gà vì lạnh. (I got goosebumps from the cold.)