Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Proud, arrogant, haughty: "dương dương" describes a state of being overly proud, self-satisfied, or having an inflated sense of self-importance, often with a negative connotation of looking down on others.
   • Self-conceited, smug: It can also refer to a complacent and self-satisfied attitude, showing excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ta bước đi với vẻ dương dương. (He walked with a proud/haughty air.)
  • Thái độ dương dương của cô ấy khiến mọi người khó chịu. (Her arrogant attitude annoyed everyone.)
  • Đừng dương dương tự đắc chỉ vì một thành công nhỏ. (Don't be smug and self-satisfied just because of a small success.)

Advanced Usage

• "dương dương tự đắc": This is a common four-syllable idiom where "dương dương" is paired with "tự đắc" (self-satisfied). It means smug, complacent, or arrogantly self-satisfied.
  • Sau khi thắng trận, tay đua có vẻ dương dương tự đắc. (After winning the race, the racer seemed smugly self-satisfied.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tự đắc (adj): Conceited, self-satisfied. Often used with "dương dương" but can stand alone.
• Kiêu ngạo (adj): Arrogant, proud. A more common synonym with a stronger negative tone.
• Tự mãn (adj): Complacent, self-complacent. Focuses on being satisfied with one's current state, often leading to a lack of progress.

Synonyms

• Kiêu căng: Arrogant, haughty.
• Ngạo mạn: Disdainful, scornfully proud.
• Hợm hĩnh: Vain, boastful.

Related Idioms

• "dương dương tự đắc": (as mentioned above) To be smugly self-satisfied; to be puffed up with pride.
  • Anh ấy đã dương dương tự đắc kể từ khi được thăng chức. (He has been puffed up with pride ever since getting the promotion.)