bít miệng

Tên cướp dùng khăn để bít miệng nạn nhân.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To gag, to silence, to muzzle: To physically cover or block someone's mouth to prevent them from speaking or making noise. It can also be used metaphorically to mean forcing someone to be silent, especially by threat, coercion, or bribery.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tên cướp dùng khăn để bít miệng nạn nhân. (The robber used a cloth to gag the victim.)
  • Họ cố gắng bít miệng nhân chứng bằng tiền. (They tried to silence the witness with money.)
  • Đừng có bít miệng tôi! (Don't you try to shut me up!)

Advanced Usage

• Used metaphorically for suppression: Often implies an unethical or forceful act of preventing someone from revealing information, expressing an opinion, or complaining.
  • Chính sách đó chỉ nhằm bít miệng giới phê bình. (That policy is merely intended to muzzle critics.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bịt miệng: This is a common alternate spelling of the same word. The meaning is identical.
• Bít họng: A synonym with a stronger, more violent connotation, literally meaning "to block the throat." It is used in the same contexts.
  • Hắn ta bị bít họng không thể kêu cứu. (He was gagged and couldn't call for help.)

Synonyms

• Bịt miệng: (alternate spelling) To gag, to silence.
• Bịt họng / Bít họng: To gag, to throttle (more forceful).
• Bịt tai bịt miệng: To cover ears and mouth (to ignore and silence).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Bịt miệng lại: To shut (someone) up. This is the verb with the added particle "lại" for emphasis.
  • Cô ấy định la lên, nhưng tôi phải bịt miệng cô ấy lại. (She was about to scream, but I had to shut her up.)

Related Idioms

• Tiền bịt miệng: Hush money (money paid to ensure someone's silence).
  • Công ty bị cáo buộc trả tiền bịt miệng. (The company was accused of paying hush money.)