xanh mét

Mặt cậu bé trở nên xanh mét khi nhìn thấy con nhện.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Deathly pale / ashen: Describes a person's complexion that has turned a sickly, greenish-white color due to extreme fear, shock, illness, or exhaustion. It indicates a severe loss of normal skin color.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tin dữ, mặt cô ấy tái xanh mét. (Upon hearing the bad news, her face turned deathly pale.)
  • Đứa bé sốt cao, người xanh mét. (The child had a high fever and looked ashen.)
  • Anh ấy trông xanh mét vì mệt mỏi. (He looks deathly pale from exhaustion.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used for dramatic emphasis to visualize the physical effect of a powerful emotional or physical state. It is stronger than simply "tái" (pale) or "xanh" (blue/green), implying an extreme and alarming condition.

Variants and Related Words

• Tái mét (adj): also means deathly pale, with less emphasis on the greenish tint.
  • Mặt nó tái mét khi nhìn thấy ma. (His face turned ghostly pale when he saw the ghost.)

Synonyms

• Ashen: very pale due to shock or illness.
• Ghastly pale: unnaturally and shockingly pale.
• Livid: having a dull bluish-grey or pale color, often from anger or illness.

Related Idioms

• Mặt xanh như tàu lá: (face as green as a banana leaf) – a similar idiom describing a pale, sickly complexion.
  • Sợ hãi, mặt nó xanh như tàu lá. (Terrified, his face was as green as a banana leaf.)