Definition

Adjective: - Very little, meager, scant, insufficient: Describes a quantity or amount that is too small, inadequate, or negligible. It emphasizes scarcity and often carries a connotation of being less than needed or expected.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Số tiền tiết kiệm của anh ấy rất ít ỏi. (His savings are very meager.)
  • Cô ấy chỉ có ít ỏi thời gian rảnh mỗi tuần. (She only has very little free time each week.)
  • Nguồn lương thực ít ỏi không đủ cho cả làng. (The scant food supply is not enough for the whole village.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract concepts like knowledge, hope, or opportunities, emphasizing their limited nature.
  • Hy vọng tìm thấy người sống sót ngày càng ít ỏi. (The hope of finding survivors grows increasingly faint.)
• Often implies a value judgment, suggesting that the small amount is disappointing or unsatisfactory.
  • Phần thưởng cho chiến thắng thật ít ỏi. (The reward for the victory is paltry.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ít (adj): Few, little. This is the core root word, while "ít ỏi" intensifies the sense of scarcity.
• Khiêm tốn (adj): Modest, humble. Can sometimes overlap in contexts like "a modest income" (thu nhập khiêm tốn/ít ỏi), but "khiêm tốn" often describes attitude, not just quantity.
• Nghèo nàn (adj): Poor, impoverished. Stronger than "ít ỏi," often describing a severe lack or deficiency.

Synonyms

• Hiếm hoi: Scarce, rare. Focuses more on rarity than just small quantity.
• Thiếu thốn: Lacking, deficient. Emphasizes a state of need or shortage.
• Khiêm tốn: Modest (in amount).

Antonyms

• Nhiều: Many, much.
• Dồi dào: Abundant, plentiful.
• Phong phú: Rich, abundant, copious.

Common Collocations and Phrases

• Kiến thức ít ỏi: Meager/scant knowledge.
• Thu nhập ít ỏi: Meager income.
• Cơ hội ít ỏi: Few and far between opportunities.
• Tài nguyên ít ỏi: Scarce resources.

adj

1. very little