Definition

1. Verb:
   • To denigrate, to defame, to speak ill of someone: The act of deliberately digging up or exposing someone's past faults, mistakes, or negative aspects, often with the intent to damage their reputation. It implies a malicious, gossipy, or slanderous action.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy thích bới xấu người khác sau lưng. (She likes to denigrate others behind their backs.)
  • Đừng bới xấu quá khứ của anh ta nữa. (Stop digging up his past to defame him.)
  • Báo chí đang cố bới xấu vị chính trị gia đó. (The press is trying to dig up dirt on that politician.)

Advanced Usage

• "bới xấu lẫn nhau": to denigrate each other.

  • Hai công ty đối thủ liên tục bới xấu lẫn nhau. (The two rival companies constantly denigrate each other.)

• "thói quen bới xấu": the habit of defaming.

  • Thói quen bới xấu người khác là rất xấu. (The habit of defaming others is very bad.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nói xấu (verb): to speak ill of, to badmouth. (This is a more general term, while "bới xấu" often implies digging up old or hidden faults).
• Vu khống (verb): to slander, to libel. (This is a stronger, more formal/legal term for making false statements to damage reputation).
• Phỉ báng (verb): to vilify, to malign. (A formal term for defaming).

Synonyms

• Defame: to damage the good reputation of someone.
• Denigrate: to criticize unfairly; to belittle.
• Malign: to speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner.
• Badmouth: (informal) to criticize or disparage, often behind someone's back.

Related Phrases

• Bới móc (verb): to dig up, to dredge up (often used similarly to "bới xấu" but can be more neutral, meaning to investigate or uncover details).
• Bới chuyện (verb): to stir up trouble, to pick a quarrel (focuses more on causing conflict than specifically on defamation).

1. Denigrate, defame, say evil things about somebody