tịt ngòi
Definition
Adjective (figurative, colloquial):
- To lose enthusiasm; to become deflated or disheartened: Describes a sudden loss of excitement, motivation, or momentum, similar to a firework with a damp fuse that fails to ignite.
- To fizzle out; to come to an abrupt and disappointing end: Refers to an event, plan, or activity that fails to proceed as expected, ending in a dull or unsuccessful manner.
Adjective (literal, rare):
- Having a dud fuse; (of a firecracker) failing to explode: Describes a firework or firecracker whose fuse does not light, preventing it from going off.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (figurative):
- Nghe tin đó, mọi người đều tịt ngòi. (Hearing that news, everyone's enthusiasm died down.)
- Buổi tiệc tịt ngòi vì trời mưa. (The party fizzled out because of the rain.)
- Adjective (literal):
- Pháo tịt ngòi, không nổ. (The firecracker had a dud fuse and didn't explode.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is highly idiomatic. The figurative sense is far more common in modern usage than the literal one. It vividly compares a loss of emotional energy to a mechanical failure.
Variants and Related Words
- Cụt hứng (adj): A near-synonymous colloquial term meaning to have one's mood or excitement cut short.
- Hụt hẫng (adj): To feel a sudden letdown or disappointment.
Synonyms
- To be deflated
- To lose steam
- To fizzle out
- To be disheartened
Related Idioms
- Như pháo tịt ngòi: (Like a dud firecracker) – Used to describe something or someone that fails to deliver an expected, exciting result.
- Kế hoạch của họ kết thúc như pháo tịt ngòi. (Their plan ended like a dud firecracker.)