Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Bulky, obtrusive, or blocking light: Describes something that is excessively large, prominent, or obstructive to the point of being unsightly or blocking light. It conveys a sense of being overwhelmingly present in an unpleasant or inconvenient way.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đống rạ ềnh ềnh trước mặt. (The pile of straw is obtrusively bulky right in front.)
  • Chiếc bàn ềnh ềnh giữa phòng khách. (The table is obtrusively large in the middle of the living room.)
  • Bóng cây ềnh ềnh che mất ánh sáng. (The tree's shadow is overwhelmingly dark, blocking the light.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract obstruction: Can be used metaphorically to describe something non-physical that feels overwhelmingly present or obstructive.
  • Nỗi buồn ềnh ềnh trong lòng. (A sadness that looms large in the heart.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ềnh (adj): The root word, meaning swollen, bulging, or protuberant. "Ềnh ềnh" is its reduplicative form, intensifying the meaning.
  • Cái bụng ềnh ra. (The belly is bulging out.)

Synonyms

• Lù lù (adj): Looming large, standing out obtrusively.
• Chướng mắt (adj): Eyesore, unsightly.
• Ồ ạt (adj): Overwhelming, in a massive and often disruptive way.

Notes on Usage

• Style and Connotation: "Ềnh ềnh" is a colloquial and expressive word, often carrying a negative connotation of something being too big, in the way, or unaesthetic. It is frequently used in descriptive spoken language.
• Grammar: It functions primarily as an adjective and is often used in its reduplicated form "ềnh ềnh" rather than the single form "ềnh". It typically follows the noun it modifies.

1. xem ềnh (láy)