Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Emotionally stirred or moved: Describes a state of being deeply and lingeringly touched by emotions, often a mix of nostalgia, longing, tenderness, or gentle sadness. It implies a soft disturbance or flutter in one's heart.
   • Agitated or unsettled: Refers to a feeling of inner restlessness, unease, or disquiet, where one's spirit or mind is not at peace.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To stir (emotionally), to move, to upset: To cause someone to experience the feelings of emotional stirring or agitation described above.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cô ấy có một nỗi nhớ xao xuyến về tuổi thơ. (She has a stirring longing for her childhood.)
  • Lòng tôi xao xuyến khi nghe bản nhạc cũ. (My heart was deeply moved when I heard the old song.)
  • Tinh thần anh ấy xao xuyến trước quyết định quan trọng. (His spirit was agitated before the important decision.)

• Verb:

  • Câu chuyện ấy xao xuyến lòng người nghe. (That story stirs the hearts of the listeners.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is primarily used to describe a profound, internal emotional state. It often carries a poetic or literary nuance and is commonly associated with memories, music, love, or parting.
• It frequently collocates with words for the heart or spirit: (stirred in one's heart), (a stirred heart), (an unsettled spirit).

Variants and Related Words

• Xao động (verb/adjective): To be agitated, perturbed; a state of agitation. This is often more about mental disturbance than the tender emotion of .
  • Tin đồn gây xao động dư luận. (The rumor caused public agitation.)
• Bồi hồi (adjective): Flustered, excited, having a fluttery feeling (e.g., from nervousness, anticipation, or emotion). It can overlap with but is often more immediate and physical.
  • Cô ấy bồi hồi chờ đợi kết quả. (She waited for the results with nervous excitement.)

Synonyms

• Stirred, moved, touched (for tender emotions).
• Agitated, unsettled, disquieted (for restless unease).
• Melancholy, wistful, nostalgic (for the specific emotional tone).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Lòng dạ xao xuyến: A stirred/agitated heart. Emphasizes the deep, visceral feeling.
  • Trước giờ lên đường, lòng dạ cô ấy xao xuyến. (Before the departure, her heart was deeply stirred.)
• Xao xuyến nôn nao: A phrase combining with (queasy, anxious) to intensify the feeling of emotional churning and restlessness.

verb

1. to upset