sững
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Motionless, stock-still: Describes a state of being completely still, often due to shock, surprise, or intense focus, as if frozen in place.
- Immobile, transfixed: Refers to standing rigidly without movement, typically because one is stunned or petrified by something.
Adverb:
- In a motionless manner: Used to describe the action of stopping or standing with sudden and complete stillness.
Usage Examples
- Adjective/Adverb:
- Cô ấy đứng sững khi nghe tin. (She stood motionless upon hearing the news.)
- Mọi người sững lại vì kinh ngạc. (Everyone froze in astonishment.)
- Anh ta nhìn sững vào bức tranh. (He stared fixedly at the painting.)
Advanced Usage
- "sừng sững": This is a reduplicated form for emphasis, meaning "towering and immovable" or "standing firm and majestic."
- Cây cổ thụ đứng sừng sững trước đình. (The ancient tree stands majestically in front of the communal house.)
- Hắn đứng sừng sững như một bức tường thành. (He stood firm and immovable like a fortress wall.)
Variants and Related Words
Đứng sững (phrase): to stand stock-still.
- Đứa bé đứng sững không dám nhúc nhích. (The child stood stock-still, not daring to move.)
Sững sờ (adj): astonished, dumbfounded (often overlaps with the state of being motionless from shock).
- Tin đó khiến tôi sững sờ. (That news left me dumbfounded.)
Synonyms
- Motionless: without movement.
- Transfixed: rendered motionless with awe, terror, or amazement.
- Petrified: paralyzed with fear or surprise.
- Immobile: not moving.
Related Idioms
- Đứng hình: (slang, similar to "to freeze") to be so shocked that one becomes like a still image.
- Tôi nghe xong tin ấy thì đứng hình mất mấy giây. (After hearing that news, I was frozen for a few seconds.)