Definition

1. Verb:
   • To give a sop to (somebody), to hush up: The act of giving money or a bribe to someone to make them keep quiet, especially about a mistake, fault, or secret. It implies silencing someone through material compensation.
   • To bribe into silence: A vulgar/colloquial term meaning to literally or figuratively "punch someone in the throat/mouth" to shut them up, but almost always used metaphorically for using money to achieve that silence.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn định đấm họng tôi bằng một khoản tiền để tôi không tố cáo. (He tried to give me a sop / hush me up with a sum of money so I wouldn't report him.)
  • Không có chuyện đấm họng được ở đây, sự thật sẽ được công bố. (There's no hushing this up; the truth will be made public.)
  • Công ty đã tìm cách đấm họng các nhân chứng. (The company tried to bribe the witnesses into silence.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is informal and carries a negative, somewhat vulgar connotation. It is often used in contexts of corruption, cover-ups, or unethical silencing.
• The action implied by "đấm họng" is proactive; one gives the bribe specifically to prevent someone from speaking out.

Variants and Related Words

• Đấm mõm: A synonymous variant with the same meaning ("mõm" is a slang word for mouth, often for animals, making it even more vulgar).
• Tiền đấm họng (Noun): Hush money. The bribe itself given to secure silence.
  • Cảnh sát phát hiện số tiền đấm họng. (The police discovered the hush money.)

Synonyms

• Hối lộ: To bribe (a more general term, not exclusively for silencing).
• Mua chuộc: To buy off, to corrupt.
• Bịt miệng: To shut (someone's) mouth (can be literal or figurative, but less specific to using money).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• While "đấm họng" itself is a phrase, it is not typically part of a larger idiomatic structure. Its meaning is direct and metaphorical.

1. cũng nói đấm mõm Give a sop to (somebody)
   • Đấm họng để cho ai bưng bít lỗi của mình
     To give a sop to somebodyto hush him over one mistakes
   • Tiền đấm họng
     Hush money