bêu xấu

Definition

Verb:
- To dishonor, to discredit, to humiliate: The act of causing someone, especially a family member or someone close, to feel ashamed or to lose their good reputation due to one's own bad, shameful, or criminal behavior. It implies bringing public shame or disgrace upon someone.

Usage Examples

Verb:
- Hắn đã bêu xấu gia đình mình bằng những hành vi phạm pháp. (He dishonored his family with his criminal acts.)
- Đừng có làm điều gì bêu xấu cha mẹ. (Don't do anything that would disgrace your parents.)
- Tên phản bội đó đã bêu xấu cả dòng họ. (That traitor brought shame upon his entire clan.)

Advanced Usage

The verb "bêu xấu" carries a strong negative connotation and is often used in contexts involving serious moral failings or betrayals that reflect badly on one's family or community. It is not used for minor embarrassments.
It often implies a public aspect to the shame, where the person's bad behavior becomes known and tarnishes the reputation of those associated with them.

Variants and Related Words

Bêu riếu (verb): To badmouth, to speak ill of someone publicly. While similar, "bêu riếu" focuses more on the act of spreading negative talk, whereas "bêu xấu" emphasizes the resulting shame and dishonor brought upon others.
Làm nhục (verb): To insult, to humiliate. This is a broader term for causing humiliation, not necessarily limited to bringing shame upon one's own family.
Mang tiếng (verb phrase): To get a bad reputation, to be spoken ill of.

Synonyms

Related Phrases / Idioms

Bêu xấu thanh danh: To tarnish/discredit someone's good name.
- Hành động của nó đã bêu xấu thanh danh của cả tập thể. (His actions discredited the good name of the whole group.)
While "bêu xấu" itself is not typically part of a larger phrasal verb structure, its meaning is closely tied to causing public dishonor to one's kin or close associates due to one's own actions.