Definition

1. Noun:
   • Abyss; chasm; precipice: A very deep, steep, and often dangerous hole or drop in the ground, such as a gorge or a deep ravine.
   • Abyss (figurative): An extremely difficult, dangerous, or hopeless situation that seems impossible to escape from, representing a state of profound crisis, despair, or moral downfall.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:
  • Nhìn xuống vực thẳm, anh ta cảm thấy chóng mặt. (Looking down into the abyss, he felt dizzy.)
  • Con đường núi quanh co bên cạnh một vực thẳm. (The mountain road winds next to a precipice.)
• Figurative meaning:
  • Công ty đó đang đứng trước bờ vực thẳm của phá sản. (That company is on the brink of the abyss of bankruptcy.)
  • Nỗi đau đã đẩy cô ấy vào một vực thẳm tuyệt vọng. (The pain pushed her into an abyss of despair.)

Advanced Usage

• "Bờ vực thẳm": The brink/edge of the abyss. This phrase is commonly used figuratively to describe being on the verge of a catastrophic situation.
  • Hai quốc gia đang đứng trên bờ vực thẳm của một cuộc chiến. (The two nations are standing on the brink of the abyss of war.)

Variants and Related Words

• Vực (n): A deep hole, pit, or chasm (generally less extreme than "vực thẳm").
  • Hòn đá lăn xuống vực. (The stone rolled down into the chasm.)
• Hố thẳm (n): A deep pit; can be used similarly to "vực thẳm," though less common.

Synonyms

• Abyss: A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm (both literal and figurative).
• Chasm: A deep fissure in the earth's surface; a profound difference or division.
• Precipice: A very steep rock face or cliff; a dangerous situation.
• Gulf: A deep ravine (literal); a wide gap or division (figurative).

Related Idioms

• "Bên bờ vực thẳm": On the edge of the abyss/precipice. Used to describe a state of extreme danger or crisis.
  • Nền kinh tế đang ở bên bờ vực thẳm. (The economy is on the edge of the abyss.)
• "Rơi xuống vực thẳm": To fall into the abyss. Describes succumbing to a state of ruin, failure, or deep depression.
  • Sau biến cố, cuộc đời anh ấy như rơi xuống vực thẳm. (After the incident, his life seemed to fall into an abyss.)