ềnh ễnh
Definition
- Adjective:
- Bulging and sagging: Describes something that is swollen, distended, or protrudes in a loose, heavy, and often unattractive manner. It implies a state of being overly full, stretched, or bloated, leading to a sagging appearance.
- Clumsily large and loose: Can describe an object or piece of clothing that is excessively large, baggy, and hangs in an ungainly way.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cái túi nilon đựng đồ ăn trông ềnh ễnh. (The plastic bag containing the food looks bulging and saggy.)
- Anh ấy mặc chiếc áo ềnh ễnh, rộng thùng thình. (He wore a clumsily large, baggy shirt.)
- Bụng nó ềnh ễnh sau bữa tiệc. (His stomach was bloated and sagging after the feast.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is a reduplicative, formed by repeating and altering the syllable "ễnh." This structure intensifies the descriptive quality, emphasizing the excessive, awkward, or ungraceful nature of the bulge or looseness.
Variants and Related Words
- Ễnh (adj): The root form, meaning bulging or protuberant. "Ềnh ễnh" is an intensified version.
- Bụng ễnh ra. (The belly bulges out.)
Synonyms
- Bulging: Swelling outward.
- Bloated: Swollen with fluid, gas, or excess.
- Baggy: Loose and hanging in folds.
- Sagging: Sinking downward under weight or pressure.
Related Idioms and Expressions
- Ềnh ễnh như cái chum: (Bulging and sagging like a jar) A simile emphasizing something is very round, full, and cumbersome.
- Cái bao tải ềnh ễnh như cái chum. (The sack is bulging like a jar.)