thậm tệ
Definition
- Adjective:
- Extremely bad or terrible: Used to describe a situation, condition, or behavior that is of very poor quality or highly undesirable.
- Severely or harshly: Used to describe an action (like scolding or criticizing) performed with great intensity or severity.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thời tiết hôm nay thậm tệ. (The weather today is terrible.)
- Anh ta bị chỉ trích thậm tệ. (He was severely criticized.)
- Dịch vụ ở đó thậm tệ. (The service there is extremely bad.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "thậm tệ" often functions as an adverb-like adjective, intensifying the negative quality of a verb or another adjective in a sentence. It emphasizes the high degree of a negative state or action.
- Cô ấy bị mắng thậm tệ. (She was scolded harshly.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tệ (adj): Bad, poor. This is the root word that "thậm tệ" intensifies.
- Phim đó rất tệ. (That movie is very bad.)
Synonyms
- Horrible: Extremely unpleasant or bad.
- Dreadful: Causing great fear or suffering; very bad.
- Severely: In a strict or harsh manner.
- Atrociously: Of a very poor quality; terribly.
Related Idioms
- While "thậm tệ" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in expressions describing strong condemnation or poor conditions.
- Chửi bới thậm tệ: to curse/berate someone severely.
- Hành hạ thậm tệ: to mistreat/abuse someone terribly.