Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Patchy: Describes something that is mended or repaired in many places, often in a careless, hasty, or unskilled manner, resulting in a rough or uneven appearance. It emphasizes the visible, makeshift nature of the repairs.
   • Cobbled-together / Makeshift: Describes something (like a plan, system, or collection of knowledge) that is assembled from various disparate, ill-fitting parts. It implies a temporary, unplanned, and often ineffective solution created to deal with an immediate need.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chiếc quần jean cũ của anh ấy trông rất vá víu. (His old jeans look very patchy.)
  • Họ đưa ra một kế hoạch vá víu để giải quyết vấn đề tạm thời. (They proposed a cobbled-together plan to deal with the problem temporarily.)
  • Kiến thức vá víu sẽ không giúp bạn vượt qua kỳ thi. (Patchy knowledge will not help you pass the exam.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a negative connotation, criticizing the lack of care, permanence, or coherence in the object or solution being described.
• It can be used metaphorically for abstract concepts like policies, arguments, or software code that is full of quick fixes and workarounds.

Variants and Related Words

• Vá (v): to patch, to mend. This is the root verb.
  • Cô ấy vá lại chiếc áo. (She patched the shirt.)
• Chắp vá (v, adj): to patch up; patchwork. Very similar in meaning to "vá víu," often used interchangeably.
  • Một giải pháp chắp vá. (A patchwork solution.)

Synonyms

• Patchwork: made of many different pieces.
• Haphazard: lacking any obvious principle of organization.
• Improvised: created and performed spontaneously with little preparation.
• Botched: carried out badly or carelessly.

Related Idioms

• Làm việc vá víu: to do a botched job; to work in a slapdash manner.
  • Đừng làm việc vá víu, hãy làm cho đàng hoàng. (Don't do a botched job; do it properly.)

adj

1. patchy