ỉu ỉu

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Limp, floppy, drooping: Describes something that is soft, lacking firmness or stiffness, and often hanging down loosely. It typically refers to the physical state of an object, such as a plant or material.
   • Lacking energy, listless: Describes a state of low energy, spirit, or enthusiasm in a person or animal, appearing weak or subdued.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Những cánh hoa héo ỉu ỉu. (The flower petals are limp and drooping.)
  • Cậu bé trông ỉu ỉu vì bị ốm. (The boy looks listless because he is sick.)
  • Sợi dây cũ ỉu ỉu, không còn chắc nữa. (The old rope is floppy and no longer strong.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is a reduplicative form, which intensifies the state described by the root "ỉu." It often carries a more vivid or descriptive nuance than the single syllable.

Variants and Related Words

• Ỉu (adj): Limp, drooping. The root form with a similar meaning.
  • Lá cây bị ỉu sau trời nắng. (The tree leaves became limp after the sunny weather.)

Synonyms

• Limp: Lacking stiffness or firmness.
• Droopy: Hanging down limply.
• Listless: Lacking energy or enthusiasm.
• Floppy: Soft and not rigid; hanging loosely.

Related Idioms

• Ỉu xìu: Very limp or very dejected. An intensified variant expressing an extreme state.
  • Bó hoa ỉu xìu vì thiếu nước. (The bouquet of flowers is completely limp from lack of water.)