Definition

1. Verb:
   • To toll the knell of; to come to an end; to be finished; to be over (often used for social systems, eras, or significant, negative phenomena). This verb indicates that something has definitively ended, often with a sense of finality, decline, or demise. It is typically used for abstract concepts like regimes, ideologies, or eras, rather than everyday events.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chủ nghĩa thực dân đã cáo chung. (Colonialism has tolled its knell / has come to an end.)
  • Một thời kỳ đen tối trong lịch sử cuối cùng cũng đã cáo chung. (A dark period in history has finally come to an end.)
  • Những hy vọng về một thỏa thuận hòa bình dường như đã cáo chung. (Hopes for a peace deal seem to be over.)

Advanced Usage

• The word carries a formal and somewhat literary tone. It is not used in casual conversation about everyday endings.
• It often implies an irreversible end, usually after a period of decline or struggle.
• The subject is typically an abstract noun (an "-ism", an era, a hope, an influence).

Variants and Related Words

• Cáo (verb): To announce, to declare (formal). This is the root verb, often seen in compounds like (obituary), (indictment).
• Chung (adjective/verb): Final, end; to end, to finish. Seen in words like (to conclude), (final outcome).
• Cáo chung functions as a compound verb. Its components hint at "announcing the end."

Synonyms

• Kết thúc: To end, to conclude (more general and neutral).
• Chấm dứt: To cease, to terminate (emphasizes stopping an action or state).
• Suy tàn: To decline, to fall into decay (emphasizes the process of weakening before the end).
• Diệt vong: To perish, to be destroyed (stronger, implies complete annihilation).

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning is the definitive end of something significant, often something perceived negatively or as a historical phase.
• The English phrase "to toll the knell of" is a close literary equivalent, evoking the sound of a funeral bell marking an end.
• It does not mean to simply "finish" a task () or for a regular event to be "over" ().

verb

1. To toll the knell of