Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Wide open (of eyes): Describes eyes that are opened unusually wide, often due to surprise, fear, intense curiosity, or a lack of sleep. It implies a fixed, staring gaze.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa bé mở mắt thao láo nhìn mọi thứ xung quanh. (The child stared with wide-open eyes at everything around.)
  • Nó thức trắng đêm nên mắt lúc nào cũng thao láo. (He stayed up all night, so his eyes were constantly wide open.)
  • Nghe tiếng động lạ, con mèo nằm dậy, mắt thao láo. (Hearing a strange noise, the cat sat up, its eyes wide open.)

Advanced Usage

• While primarily describing eyes, "thao láo" can be used figuratively to describe a facial expression dominated by such wide-open, staring eyes, conveying a state of shock, emptiness, or intense scrutiny.
  • Khuôn mặt thao láo của nó khiến tôi sợ hãi. (His face with its wide-eyed stare frightened me.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mở thao láo (verb phrase): to open (one's eyes) wide.
  • Nó mở mắt thao láo nhìn tôi. (It opened its eyes wide and looked at me.)

Synonyms

• Wide-eyed: Having the eyes wide open, especially with wonder or astonishment.
• Goggle-eyed: Having bulging or wide-open eyes, often from amazement.
• Staring: Looking fixedly with wide-open eyes.

Related Idioms

• Mắt thao láo: This is the most common collocation, meaning "wide-open eyes."
  • Cậu bé nhìn với đôi mắt thao láo đầy tò mò. (The boy looked with wide, curious eyes.)

adj

1. wide open