Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Completely empty; utterly vacant: Describes a space, container, or area that has absolutely nothing inside it. It emphasizes a stark, hollow emptiness.
   • Totally unoccupied; completely deserted: Refers to a place, such as a house or room, that is entirely without people or furnishings, conveying a sense of abandonment or bareness.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Căn phòng trống lốc, không một bóng người. (The room was completely empty, without a soul in sight.)
  • Sau khi chuyển nhà, ngôi nhà cũ trở nên trống lốc. (After moving, the old house became utterly vacant.)
  • Chiếc tủ trống lốc chẳng còn gì. (The cupboard is completely empty, nothing is left.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "trống lốc" is informal and carries a stronger, more vivid connotation than the neutral word "trống" (empty). It often evokes a feeling of loneliness, desolation, or stark absence.

Variants and Related Words

• Trống (adj): empty, vacant, hollow. The standard, neutral term.
  • Cái ly trống. (The glass is empty.)
• Trống trơn (adj): bare, empty, with nothing left. Similar to "trống lốc" but can sometimes imply a smooth, even emptiness.
  • Cái ví trống trơn. (The wallet is completely bare.)

Synonyms

• Empty: containing nothing.
• Vacant: not occupied.
• Deserted: abandoned, empty of people.
• Bare: without covering or contents; stark.

Related Idioms

• Trống lốc trống thốc: An intensified, reduplicative form of "trống lốc," emphasizing an even greater degree of hollow emptiness or echoing vacancy.
  • Nhà cửa trống lốc trống thốc, chỉ nghe thấy tiếng gió. (The house was utterly hollow and empty, only the sound of wind could be heard.)