Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Anxious, uneasy, on tenterhooks: Describes a state of nervousness, worry, or restless anticipation while waiting for something uncertain.
   • Covetous, longing, craving: Describes an intense, often difficult-to-control desire or yearning for something, especially food or an object.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Anxious):
  • Cô ấy thắc thỏm chờ kết quả cuộc phỏng vấn. (She is anxiously waiting for the interview result.)
  • Người mẹ thắc thỏm lo lắng khi con chưa về nhà. (The mother is anxiously worried as her child hasn't come home yet.)
• Adjective (Covetous):
  • Nhìn món ăn ngon, nó thắc thỏm muốn ăn ngay. (Looking at the delicious food, he/she is craving to eat it immediately.)
  • Đứa trẻ thắc thỏm nhìn vào cửa hàng đồ chơi. (The child is gazing longingly into the toy store.)

Advanced Usage

• "thắc thỏm chờ đợi": to wait with bated breath, to wait anxiously.
  • Cả gia đình thắc thỏm chờ đợi tin tức từ người thân ở nước ngoài. (The whole family is waiting with bated breath for news from their relative abroad.)
• "lòng thắc thỏm": a feeling of anxious longing.
  • Với lòng thắc thỏm, anh ấy mở món quà ra. (With anxious anticipation, he opened the gift.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thấp thỏm (adj): This is the more common and standard variant, primarily meaning "anxious," "uneasy," or "apprehensive." "Thắc thỏm" is often considered a colloquial or dialectal form of "thấp thỏm," especially for the meaning of anxiety.
  • Lòng thấp thỏm không yên. (A heart uneasy and restless.)
• Thòm thèm (adj): This word is closely related to the "covetous" meaning of "thắc thỏm." It specifically describes a strong craving, especially for food (to drool over, to salivate for).
  • Ngửi thấy mùi bánh, nó thòm thèm. (Smelling the cake, he/she is drooling over it.)

Synonyms

• For "anxious": Bồn chồn (restless), sốt ruột (impatient), lo lắng (worried).
• For "covetous": Thèm muốn (to desire), khao khát (to yearn), ham muốn (to crave).

Related Idioms

• "Thắc thỏm bồn chồn": A common paired phrase emphasizing a state of extreme nervous restlessness and anxiety.
  • Biết tin dữ, lòng anh thắc thỏm bồn chồn. (Upon hearing the bad news, his heart was filled with anxious restlessness.)

adj

1. covetous, to covet