thối hoăng
Definition
- Adjective:
- Extremely foul-smelling; putrid: Describes a smell of decay or rot that is very strong, offensive, and pervasive. It emphasizes that the stench is intense and spreads over an area.
- Morally corrupt; rotten (figurative): Used colloquially to describe something considered deeply corrupt, dishonest, or contemptible.
Usage Examples
Adjective (literal smell):
- Thùng rác để lâu ngày bốc mùi thối hoăng. (The trash bin left for days emitted a putrid smell.)
- Có mùi thối hoăng phát ra từ tủ lạnh hỏng. (There's a foul stench coming from the broken refrigerator.)
Adjective (figurative):
- Vụ án tham nhũng đó thối hoăng. (That corruption case is absolutely rotten.)
- Những tin đồn thối hoăng về anh ta. (Those are vile rumors about him.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used for dramatic emphasis. The word "hoăng" intensifies "thối" (rotten), similar to adding "stinking" or "reeking" in English (e.g., "reeking rotten").
- Can describe a situation, secret, or behavior that is considered morally reprehensible and "smells bad" figuratively.
Variants and Related Words
- Thối (adj): Rotten, spoiled, foul-smelling. The core adjective without the intense emphasis.
- Trái cây này đã thối. (This fruit is rotten.)
- Hôi (adj): Smelly, stinking, often used for body odor or general bad smells. Less specific to decay than "thối".
- Mùi hôi từ phòng tập thể dục. (The stink from the gym.)
Synonyms
- Putrid: Decaying and emitting a foul smell.
- Fetid: Smelling extremely unpleasant.
- Rank: Having a strong and unpleasant smell.
- Rotten (figurative): Morally corrupt or very bad.
Related Idioms
- Thối như xác chết: As rotten as a corpse; used to describe something extremely putrid.
- Cái ao nước đọng đó thối như xác chết. (That stagnant pond is as rotten as a corpse.)
- While "thối hoăng" itself is not part of a fixed multi-word idiom, its components are used for vivid, intensified description in speech.