Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Stubbornly refusing to speak or admit something: Describes a person who remains silent or refuses to answer, often out of stubbornness, defiance, or an inability to respond effectively, especially when being questioned, criticized, or proven wrong.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thằng bé cứng miệng không chịu nhận lỗi. (The boy is stubbornly refusing to admit his mistake.)
  • Bị phát hiện nói dối, nó cứng miệng không nói gì thêm. (Caught lying, he clammed up and said nothing more.)
  • Đừng có cứng miệng, biết sai thì nên xin lỗi. (Don't be so stubborn; if you know you're wrong, you should apologize.)

Advanced Usage

• "bị cứng miệng": to be rendered speechless (often due to shame, embarrassment, or having no counter-argument).
  • Nghe lời phản bác hợp lý, anh ta bị cứng miệng. (Hearing the reasonable rebuttal, he was left speechless.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cứng họng (idiomatic, adjective): Has the same meaning as "cứng miệng" – to be tongue-tied or unable to reply, typically because one is wrong or defeated in an argument.
  • Bị bắt quả tang, hắn cứng họng không biết nói gì. (Caught red-handed, he was at a loss for words.)

Synonyms

• Lì lợm (adj): stubborn, obstinate (often implies a general stubborn character, not specifically about speech).
• Câm như hến (idiom): as silent as a clam; completely mute (emphasizes total silence).

Related Idioms

• Cứng miệng ăn tiền: (Literally: stiff-mouthed eating money) An idiom implying that someone's stubborn silence or refusal to cooperate is disadvantageous or comes at a cost to themselves.
  • Cứ cứng miệng ăn tiền thế thì chẳng ai giúp được đâu. (If you keep being stubborn to your own detriment, no one can help you.)