Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Wet; damp; moist: The primary meaning describes something that is slightly wet, containing more liquid or moisture than is usual or desired. It often implies a persistent, unpleasant, or unwanted dampness.
   • Humid (for climate/air): Describes an atmosphere with a high level of moisture in the air.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Sau cơn mưa, con đường trở nên ẩm ướt và trơn trượt. (After the rain, the road became wet and slippery.)
  • Căn phòng dưới tầng hầm lúc nào cũng ẩm ướt. (The basement room is always damp.)
  • Khí hậu ở đây rất ẩm ướt vào mùa hè. (The climate here is very humid in the summer.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe a state of being that is not just temporarily wet from contact with water, but inherently or characteristically moist, often leading to discomfort, mold, or a cold feeling.
  • Cảm giác ẩm ướt của bức tường cho thấy có sự rò rỉ ống nước. (The damp feeling of the wall indicated a water pipe leak.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ẩm (adj): damp; humid. This is the root word and often implies a lesser degree of wetness than "ẩm ướt," sometimes in a more neutral or even positive context (e.g., "đất ẩm" - moist soil).
• Ướt (adj): wet. This describes a state of being soaked or covered in liquid. "Ẩm ướt" combines the notions of both "ẩm" (damp) and "ướt" (wet).

Synonyms

• Damp: Slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way.
• Moist: Slightly wet, often used in a more neutral or specific context (e.g., moist cake).
• Humid: Containing a high amount of water vapor (specifically for air).
• Wet: Covered or saturated with water or another liquid.

Antonyms

• Khô (adj): dry.
• Khô ráo (adj): dry and comfortable.

Related Idioms and Common Phrases

• Ẩm ướt như chuồng lợn: As damp/wet as a pigsty. Used to emphasize an extremely damp and unpleasant environment.
  • Căn gác xép này ẩm ướt như chuồng lợn, không thể ở được. (This attic is as damp as a pigsty; it's uninhabitable.)

1. Wet
   • nền nhà ẩm ướt
     a wet floor
   • khí hậu ẩm ướt
     a wet climate