Definitions

1. Verb:
   • To act unconventionally, to go against norms: To behave in a way that defies standard rules, customs, or expectations, often in a bold or disruptive manner.
   • To commit adultery: (Vulgar) To engage in an extramarital affair; to be unfaithful to one's spouse.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta luôn thích chơi ngang, không tuân theo bất kỳ quy tắc nào của công ty. (He always likes to act unconventionally, not following any of the company's rules.)
  • Cô ấy bị phát hiện chơi ngang với đồng nghiệp. (She was discovered committing adultery with a colleague.)

Advanced Usage

• "chơi ngang chơi ngửa": To act in a completely unscrupulous or brazenly defiant manner, often combining various forms of rule-breaking.
  • Hắn là kẻ chơi ngang chơi ngửa, chẳng coi pháp luật ra gì. (He is someone who acts completely unscrupulously, having no regard for the law.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngang ngược (adj): Stubborn, defiant, recalcitrant. Describes a person or attitude that is obstinately disobedient.
  • Thái độ ngang ngược của nó khiến mọi người khó chịu. (His defiant attitude annoys everyone.)
• Ngang tàng (adj/phr): Daring, audacious, rebellious (often with a roguish or folk-hero connotation).
  • Anh ấy có vẻ ngoài và phong cách rất ngang tàng. (He has a very daring appearance and style.)

Synonyms

• Phản nghịch: To rebel, to revolt.
• Ngoại tình: To commit adultery (more formal/standard term for the second meaning).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Ăn ngang (vulgar, idiom): Literally "to eat sideways," a vulgar synonym meaning to commit adultery.
  • Tin đồn anh ta ăn ngang với vợ người khác lan rất nhanh. (Rumors that he committed adultery with another man's wife spread quickly.)

Related Idioms

• Cưỡi ngựa xem hoa: Literally "to ride a horse and look at flowers," meaning to do something in a superficial, non-committal, or flirtatious manner. This can contextually relate to the idea of unconventional or unfaithful behavior.
  • Anh ta chỉ cưỡi ngựa xem hoa, chẳng thật lòng với ai. (He just flirts around, not being sincere with anyone.)

1. To act unconventionally
2. To commit adultery