sù

Sợi len sù trên chiếc áo len mới.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Bristly, spiky, or ruffled: Describes hair, fur, or feathers that stand up stiffly or in a messy, unkempt manner, often due to fear, anger, or being wet.
   • Puffy or swollen: Can describe something that appears swollen, bloated, or puffed out, like a swollen face or a puffed-up object.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Con mèo bị dính nước, lông nó sù lên. (The cat got wet, its fur bristled up.)
  • Nó thức đêm nhiều nên mắt sù ra. (He stayed up many nights so his eyes became puffy.)
  • Lông cổ con gà trống sù lên khi nó đánh nhau. (The rooster's neck feathers ruffled up when it fought.)

Advanced Usage

• "sù sì": An intensified form meaning very rough, bumpy, or coarse to the touch.
  • Bề mặt của vỏ cây này sù sì. (The surface of this tree bark is very rough.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xù (adj): A common variant spelling with the same meaning (bristly, messy).
  • Tóc nó xù sau khi đội mũ. (His hair was messy after wearing the hat.)

Synonyms

• Bristly: Having stiff, short hairs or fibers standing up.
• Ruffled: Disordered or spread out, like feathers.
• Puffy: Slightly swollen or inflated.
• Unkempt: Not neatly combed or arranged (for hair/fur).

Related Idioms

• Nổi da gà / Sởn gai ốc: To get goosebumps. While not using "sù," it describes a similar physical reaction of hair standing on end due to cold or fear.
  • Nghe câu chuyện ma, tôi nổi da gà. (Listening to the ghost story, I got goosebumps.)