Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Mincing, affected, coquettish: Describes a way of walking, speaking, or behaving that is overly dainty, artificial, or deliberately charming in a showy manner, often to attract attention.
   • Whimsical, capricious, fussy: Describes a person who is overly particular, hard to please, or has unpredictable and changing demands.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy đi đứng ỏng ẹo. (She walks in a mincing/affected manner.)
  • Tính nết nó hơi ỏng ẹo. (His/Her temperament is a bit capricious/fussy.)
  • Giọng nói ỏng ẹo của cô ấy khiến mọi người chú ý. (Her affected/coquettish voice drew everyone's attention.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đi ỏng ẹo": To walk with mincing/affected steps.
  • Người mẫu thường đi ỏng ẹo trên sàn catwalk. (Models often walk with mincing steps on the catwalk.)
• "Nói ỏng ẹo": To speak in an affected, coquettish tone.
  • Cô ta nói chuyện ỏng ẹo với sếp để được ưu ái. (She talks in a coquettish manner with the boss to gain favor.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ẻo lả (adj): Similar to "ỏng ẹo," describing affected, overly soft, or delicate manners, often with a negative connotation of being insincere.
  • Cử chỉ ẻo lả. (Affected/delicate gestures.)
• Lả lơi (adj): Flirtatious, coquettish, often with a stronger implication of overt seductiveness.
  • Ánh mắt lả lơi. (A flirtatious glance.)

Synonyms

• Màu mè (adj): Showy, flashy, ostentatious (often in behavior or speech).
• Kiểu cách (adj): Affected, mannered, putting on airs.
• Đỏng đảnh (adj): Coy, capricious, playful in a somewhat spoiled or demanding way (often used for women).

Related Idioms

• "Ỏng ẹo như mụ hàng nước": To be as fussy/capricious as a female street vendor (a stereotype). Implies someone is very hard to please or has unreasonable demands.
  • Đừng có ỏng ẹo như mụ hàng nước thế! (Don't be so fussy/capricious!)
• "Chiều ỏng ẹo": To indulge someone's whims or caprices.
  • Con bé được chiều ỏng ẹo từ nhỏ. (That girl has been indulged in her whims since childhood.)

adj

1. mincing
   • đi ỏng ẹo
     to take mincing steps. whimsical; capricious
   • ỏng ẹo như thế ai chiều nổi
     Who can gratify such a capricious person