trơn tuột

Con lươn trơn tuột ra khỏi tay người đánh cá.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely slippery or slick: Describes a surface or object that offers very little friction, causing things to slide or slip off it easily.
   • Slipping away effortlessly: Describes something that is difficult to hold or keep grip on, often escaping from one's grasp without control.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sàn nhà tắm ướt trơn tuột. (The wet bathroom floor is extremely slippery.)
  • Con cá trơn tuột, tôi không thể bắt được. (The fish was so slick, I couldn't catch it.)
  • Sợi dây thừng trơn tuột trong tay anh ấy. (The rope slid effortlessly through his hands.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract situations where control is lost or something progresses without hindrance.
  • Công việc trôi chảy trơn tuột. (The work progressed smoothly without a hitch.)
  • Kế hoạch của họ thất bại trơn tuột. (Their plan failed completely and irreversibly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trơn (adj): Slippery, smooth.
  • Đường trơn sau cơn mưa. (The road is slippery after the rain.)
• Trượt (v): To slide, to slip.
  • Cậu bé trượt trên sàn băng. (The boy slid on the ice rink.)

Synonyms

• Slippery: Having a surface that is smooth, wet, or polished and causes sliding.
• Slick: Smooth and glossy; also meaning deceitfully skillful (context differs).
• Glassy: Resembling glass in smoothness.

Related Idioms and Expressions

• Trơn như mỡ: As slippery as grease (used to emphasize extreme slipperiness).
  • Con lươn ấy trơn như mỡ. (That eel is as slippery as grease.)
• Tuột khỏi tay: To slip from one's hands (often used literally with 'trơn tuột').
  • Chiếc ly trơn tuột khỏi tay cô ấy. (The glass slipped right out of her hand.)