Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Slightly bulging or wide-open (eyes): Describes eyes that are open a little too wide, often giving a fixed, unblinking, or slightly startled appearance.
   • Gaudy or glaring to the eye: Describes something visually obtrusive, flashy, or unpleasantly bright, causing a slight discomfort when looked at.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nó nhìn tôi với đôi mắt trờn trợn. (He looked at me with wide, fixed eyes.)
  • Màu sắc của bức tranh đó trờn trợn quá. (The colors of that painting are too gaudy.)
  • Ánh đèn neon trờn trợn chiếu thẳng vào cửa sổ. (The glaring neon light shone directly into the window.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "trờn trợn" often carries a negative connotation, implying something is unsettling, impolite (in the case of a stare), or tastelessly bright.

Variants and Related Words

• Trợn (adj/verb): To bulge or open (eyes) wide, often more intense than "trờn trợn."
  • Nó trợn mắt lên vì tức giận. (He bulged his eyes in anger.)

Synonyms

• Gaudy: Extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
• Glaring: Giving out or reflecting a strong or dazzling light.
• Fixed (stare): A direct, unwavering gaze.

Related Idioms

• Mắt trờn trợn: A set phrase describing a fixed, wide-eyed stare.
  • Đứa bé thức dậy, mắt trờn trợn nhìn vào bóng tối. (The child woke up, eyes wide open, staring into the darkness.)