Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Destitute, impoverished: Describes a state of extreme poverty, lacking basic necessities and resources.
   • Ragged, tattered: Describes something, often clothing or appearance, that is worn out, shabby, and in a state of disrepair.
   • Bare, denuded: Describes a landscape or object that is stripped bare, barren, or devoid of its usual covering or vitality.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau trận bão, khu vườn trở nên xác xơ. (After the storm, the garden became bare and denuded.)
  • Ông lão mặc bộ quần áo xác xơ. (The old man wore ragged clothes.)
  • Gia đình ấy sống trong cảnh xác xơ. (That family lives in destitute conditions.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a connotation of pity or sadness, describing not just physical poverty but also a worn-out, depleted state of being or environment.
  • Sau nhiều năm thất bại, tinh thần anh ấy thật xác xơ. (After years of failure, his spirit was utterly depleted.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tiêu điều xác xơ: A common four-word idiom meaning desolate and bleak, often used for landscapes or settings.
  • Phố cổ vào mùa đông trông tiêu điều xác xơ. (The old quarter in winter looks desolate and bleak.)

Synonyms

• Destitute: Lacking the necessities of life.
• Tattered: Torn and ragged.
• Barren: Lacking vegetation or vitality.
• Impoverished: Reduced to poverty.

Related Idioms

• Xác xơ xơ xác: A reduplicative phrase emphasizing a state of being completely broken down, ruined, or destitute.
  • Căn nhà bỏ hoang giờ đã xác xơ xơ xác. (The abandoned house is now completely ruined and dilapidated.)

adj

1. destitute, ragged