Definition

1. Verb:

   • To loiter, to hang around aimlessly: To move or stand about a place without a clear purpose, often in a way that appears suspicious or idle.
   • To meddle, to poke one's nose into: To interfere or involve oneself in matters that are not one's concern.

2. Adjective:

   • Meddlesome, interfering: Describing a person who habitually involves themselves in other people's business.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nó cứ xớ rớ ở cổng trường suốt buổi chiều. (He just loitered at the school gate all afternoon.)
  • Đừng có xớ rớ vào chuyện của người khác. (Don't meddle in other people's business.)
• Adjective:
  • Tính nó rất xớ rớ, cái gì cũng muốn biết. (He is very meddlesome; he wants to know everything.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a negative connotation, implying that the action is annoying, pointless, or causes suspicion.
• It can describe physical loitering in a location or metaphorical interference in affairs.

Variants and Related Words

• Lảng vảng (v): to linger, to hang around. This is a close synonym for the "loitering" sense but may lack the strong connotation of meddling.
  • Mấy người lạ lảng vảng quanh đây. (Some strangers are lingering around here.)

Synonyms

• To loiter: To stand or wait around without purpose.
• To meddle: To interfere in something that is not one's concern.
• To prowl: To move around restlessly or stealthily, often with suspicion.

Related Idioms

• Xớ rớ đầu này, xớ rớ đầu kia: To be meddlesome everywhere, to poke one's nose into everything.
  • Bà ấy lúc nào cũng xớ rớ đầu này, xớ rớ đầu kia trong xóm. (She's always poking her nose into everything in the neighborhood.)