Definition

1. Verb:
   • To pick holes in / to find fault with: To criticize someone by focusing on minor mistakes or flaws in their argument, statement, or work.
   • To object / to raise objections: To point out perceived errors or weaknesses, often in a nitpicking or overly critical manner.
   • To quibble / to cavil: To argue or complain about small, unimportant details.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Không ai bắt bẻ vào đâu được nữa, vì lý lẽ đã rõ ràng. (Nobody can pick holes in it anymore, for the arguments are clear enough.)
  • Anh ấy có thói quen bắt bẻ người khác. (He has a habit of finding fault with others.)
  • Không thể nào bắt bẻ được lập luận đó. (It is impossible to find fault with that argument.)

Advanced Usage

• "hay bắt bẻ": to be captious, to be fond of finding fault, to be nitpicky.
  • Ông ấy là người hay bắt bẻ. (He is a captious person / a person fond of finding fault.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bắt lỗi (v): to catch a mistake, to point out an error.
• Chỉ trích (v): to criticize (a more general term).
• Phản bác (v): to refute, to rebut (often more formal or substantive).

Synonyms

• Nitpick: to criticize insignificant details.
• Carp: to complain or find fault continually.
• Hypercriticize: to criticize with excessive detail or severity.

Related Idioms

• Bắt bẻ từng câu từng chữ: to nitpick every single word and sentence; to quibble over wording.
  • Đừng bắt bẻ từng câu từng chữ như thế. (Don't quibble over every single word like that.)

verb

1. To pick holes in someone's coat
   • không ai bắt bẻ vào đâu được nữa, vì lý lẽ đã rõ ràng
     nobody can pick holes, for the arguments are clear enough
   • hay bắt bẻ
     to be captious, to be fond of finding fault