xé tai

Một em bé khóc với tiếng xé tai trong cửa hàng.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Ear-splitting / piercing: Describes a sound that is extremely loud, sharp, and unpleasant, causing discomfort or pain to the ears.
   • Deafening: A sound so loud it seems to overwhelm the sense of hearing.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Tiếng còi báo động xé tai. (The alarm siren was ear-splitting.)
  • Đám đông hò reo với âm thanh xé tai. (The crowd cheered with a deafening sound.)
  • Cô ấy hét lên một tiếng xé tai. (She let out a piercing scream.)

Advanced Usage

• Used figuratively to describe something metaphorically loud or shocking, such as a piece of news or criticism.
  • Lời chỉ trích của anh ta thật xé tai. (His criticism was scathing/sharp enough to be metaphorically "ear-splitting".)

Variants and Related Words

• Chói tai (adj): grating, shrill (often for high-pitched sounds).
  • Tiếng kim loại cọ xát nghe thật chói tai. (The sound of scraping metal is very grating.)

Synonyms

• Piercing: A sharp, high-pitched sound.
• Deafening: Extremely loud.
• Shrill: High-pitched and unpleasant.

Related Idioms

• While "xé tai" itself is descriptive, a related concept is:
  • Làm điếc tai: to deafen (literally "to make deaf ears").

    • Âm nhạc từ câu lạc bộ làm điếc tai. (The music from the club was deafening.)