tê dại
Definition
- Adjective:
- Numb; benumbed: Describes a part of the body that has lost normal sensation, often due to cold, pressure, or lack of circulation, resulting in a feeling of deadness or tingling.
- Paralyzed; insensate: Can describe a more severe state of loss of feeling or movement, akin to paralysis.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Ngồi xếp bằng lâu khiến chân tôi tê dại. (Sitting cross-legged for a long time made my legs go numb.)
- Cái lạnh buốt giá làm cho đôi tay anh ấy tê dại. (The biting cold made his hands numb and insensate.)
- Cảm giác tê dại lan từ ngón tay lên cánh tay. (The numb sensation spread from the fingers up to the arm.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "tê dại" is often used to describe a physical state but can be extended metaphorically to describe emotional numbness or a state of shock where one feels detached and unresponsive.
- Sau tin đó, cô ấy ngồi im, lòng người tê dại. (After that news, she sat still, her heart feeling numb.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tê (adj): Numb; tingling. A more common and slightly less intense synonym.
- Chân tôi bị tê. (My foot is asleep/tingling.)
- Tê liệt (adj/verb): Paralyzed; paralysis. Indicates a complete loss of the ability to move or feel.
- Căn bệnh có thể dẫn đến tê liệt. (The disease can lead to paralysis.)
Synonyms
- Numb: Deprived of the power of sensation.
- Benumbed: Made numb, especially by cold.
- Insensate: Lacking physical sensation.
- Paralyzed: Affected with paralysis.
Related Idioms
- While "tê dại" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, the sensation is frequently described in phrases like "tê dại chân tay" (numbness in the limbs) or "lạnh tê dại" (cold to the point of numbness).