xệp

Người nông dân ngồi xệp xuống bên luống rau.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Flattened; deflated; sunken: Describes an object that has lost its full, firm, or inflated shape, becoming less voluminous or lower in height. Often used for soft objects like pillows, tires, or cushions.
   • Sagging; drooping: Can describe something that hangs down limply or lacks tautness.

2. Verb:

   • To squat down low; to crouch close to the ground: To lower one's body to a position very near or touching the ground, often implying a sudden or weary movement.
   • To flatten; to become deflated: The process of losing firmness or air and becoming flat.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cái gối bị xệp rồi. (The pillow is flat/deflated.)
  • Lốp xe đã xệp hẳn. (The tire is completely flat.)
• Verb:
  • Ông lão xệp xuống bên vệ đường. (The old man squatted down low by the roadside.)
  • Quả bóng xệp sau một tuần. (The ball deflated after a week.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb form often implies a quick, tired, or unceremonious movement to a low position, closer to "plopping down" than a controlled sit.
• Used colloquially to describe a business or plan that has failed or "gone flat": (That plan has gone flat/failed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xẹp: A more common variant with the same core meanings of "deflated" or "flattened."
• Ngồi xệp: A phrasal verb meaning "to sit down flat on the ground" or "to squat low."

Synonyms

• Adjective: Flat, deflated, saggy, sunken.
• Verb: To squat, to crouch, to flatten, to collapse.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Xệp xuống: To sink/slump/squat down.
  • Cô ấy mệt đến nỗi xệp xuống ghế. (She was so tired she slumped into the chair.)
• Xệp lép: Emphatic form meaning completely flat or deflated.
  • Bong bóng xà phòng xệp lép. (The soap bubble went completely flat.)