thòm thèm
Definition
- Adjective:
- To be left wanting more (after eating/drinking): The primary meaning describes the feeling when one has consumed something enjoyable but the quantity was insufficient to fully satisfy the desire or appetite.
- To crave / to desire eagerly: An extended, often colloquial or regional meaning, indicating a strong, sometimes envious, longing for something one sees or thinks about, not limited to food.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Ăn một cái bánh nhỏ xong, nó vẫn còn thòm thèm. (After eating a small cake, he/she still wanted more.)
- Uống thử một ngụm rượu ngon, ai cũng thấy thòm thèm. (After tasting a sip of the fine wine, everyone was left craving more.)
- Thằng bé nhìn đám trẻ chơi đồ chơi mới với ánh mắt thòm thèm. (The boy looked at the children playing with new toys with eager desire.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often implies a sense of lingering, unsatisfied temptation. It can describe a physical appetite for more food or a metaphorical appetite for possessions, experiences, or even people.
- It frequently carries a connotation of something being tantalizingly good but not available in sufficient quantity to quench the desire.
Variants and Related Words
- Thèm thuồng (adj): to crave, to hanker after. This is a close synonym but often suggests a stronger, more overt longing.
- Nó nhìn đĩa thức ăn một cách thèm thuồng. (He looked at the plate of food with craving.)
Synonyms
- To be unsatisfied (in appetite): To not have had enough of something enjoyable.
- To crave: To have a powerful desire for something.
- To hanker after: To have a persistent longing.
Related Idioms and Expressions
- Thòm thèm như mèo thấy mỡ: To crave something like a cat seeing fat/grease. This idiom vividly emphasizes an intense, almost irresistible desire.
- Nghe kể về món ăn ấy, tôi thòm thèm như mèo thấy mỡ. (Hearing about that dish, I craved it intensely.)