Definition

1. Adjective phrase:
   • Extremely fragrant; intensely aromatic: Describes a powerful, pervasive, and highly pleasing smell, often from food, flowers, or other sources. It emphasizes an overwhelming and delightful fragrance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective phrase:
  • Cơm mới nấu xong thơm nực cả nhà. (The freshly cooked rice made the whole house intensely fragrant.)
  • Mùi hoa nhài trong vườn thơm nực vào buổi tối. (The scent of jasmine in the garden is overpoweringly fragrant in the evening.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "thơm nực" is often used in descriptive writing and speech to evoke a vivid sensory experience. It is stronger than simply "thơm" (fragrant) and implies the fragrance is so rich it almost feels tangible or fills the entire space.

Variants and Related Words

• Thơm (adj): fragrant, aromatic, sweet-smelling.
  • Bánh mì rất thơm. (The bread is very fragrant.)
• Thơm ngát (adj. phrase): exquisitely fragrant; diffusely fragrant (often for flowers or open spaces).
  • Cánh đồng hoa oải hương thơm ngát. (The lavender field is exquisitely fragrant.)
• Nức mũi (adj. phrase): a synonym for "thơm nực," literally meaning "fragrant to the nose."
  • Mùi phở nức mũi. (The pho smell is wonderfully fragrant.)

Synonyms

• Overpoweringly fragrant: having a very strong, pleasant smell.
• Intensely aromatic: having a very strong and distinctive smell, usually pleasant.

Related Idioms

• Thơm nức mũi: an even more emphatic variant with identical meaning to "thơm nực."
  • Bát canh chua cá lóc thơm nức mũi. (The bowl of sour soup with snakehead fish is marvelously fragrant.)