Definition

1. Onomatopoeia / Adjective:
   • A hollow, resonant, booming sound: Describes a deep, echoing sound, often produced by hitting or moving a large, empty container like a barrel or drum.
   • Loose and baggy (for clothing): Describes clothing that is very loose, wide, or ill-fitting, hanging off the body in a way that suggests excess fabric.

Usage Examples

• Describing a sound:

  • Tiếng trống ngân lên thùng thình. (The drum echoed with a deep, booming sound.)
  • Thùng nước rỗng kêu thùng thình khi bị đập. (The empty water barrel made a hollow, booming sound when hit.)

• Describing clothing:

  • Cái áo này rộng, mặc vào thùng thình. (This shirt is wide; when worn, it hangs loose and baggy.)
  • Quần cũ của anh ấy trông thùng thình vì anh ấy đã gầy đi. (His old pants look baggy because he has lost weight.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used in poetry or descriptive writing to evoke a specific auditory or visual imagery of emptiness, resonance, or oversized fit.

Variants and Related Words

• Ùng ục (onomatopoeia): Describes a gurgling or glugging sound (like water pouring from a bottle), which is more liquid and less hollow than "thùng thình."
• Phùng phình (adjective): Describes something puffed out, swollen, or billowing (like sails or cheeks), focusing on expansion rather than looseness.

Synonyms

• Booming: producing a deep, resonant sound.
• Hollow: having a hole or empty space inside; producing a low, echoing sound.
• Baggy: (of clothing) loose and hanging in folds.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, "thùng thình" is commonly used in the comparative structure "rộng thùng thình" to emphasize extreme looseness.
  • Chiếc áo khoác rộng thùng thình. (The jacket is extremely loose and baggy.)