Definition

1. Verb:
   • To snatch and tear (at something): To pull violently in opposite directions, often resulting in ripping or severe damage to an object.
   • To be locked in a fierce, often physical, struggle: To fight or contend with intense hostility, as if trying to tear each other apart.
   • To torment or tear at (emotionally or mentally): To cause or experience severe inner conflict, anguish, or distress, as if one's feelings are being pulled apart.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Physical Struggle):
  • Hai đứa trẻ giằng xé cuốn sách. (The two children snatched and tore at the book.)
  • Họ giằng xé nhau vì địa vị. (They got at one another's throat for position.)
• Verb (Emotional Torment):
  • Nỗi đau ấy vẫn giằng xé trong lòng cô. (That pain still tears at her heart.)
  • Anh ấy bị giằng xé giữa hai lựa chọn. (He was torn between two choices.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe intense, destructive conflict, whether literal or figurative. It implies a level of violence and desperation in the struggle.

Variants and Related Words

• Giằng co (v): To tug-of-war; to be locked in a stalemate or protracted struggle, often with less violent connotation than "giằng xé".
  • Hai bên giằng co trên bàn đàm phán. (The two sides were locked in a stalemate at the negotiation table.)

Synonyms

• To wrestle: To engage in a strenuous struggle.
• To tear apart: To pull into pieces; to cause severe emotional distress.
• To torment: To cause severe mental or emotional suffering.

Related Idioms

• Lòng giằng xé: A tormented heart; a state of being torn apart inside.
  • Với lòng giằng xé, cô ấy đưa ra quyết định. (With a tormented heart, she made the decision.)

1. Snatch and tear (something); get at someone's throat
   • Giằng xé nhau vì địa vị
     to get at one another's throat for position