Definition

1. Verb:
   • To jostle; to give a sudden, sharp push or nudge, typically with a part of the body like an elbow or shoulder. It describes a quick, often deliberate, physical action to move someone or something aside or to get their attention.
   • (Figurative, colloquial) To incite or provoke. Used to describe the act of goading or egging someone on, often to cause an argument or reaction.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Physical Action):
  • Anh ấy hích tôi bằng khuỷu tay. (He jostled me with his elbow.)
  • Cô ấy dùng vai hích cánh cửa cho mở ra. (She used her shoulder to give the door a nudge open.)
• Verb (Figurative Action):
  • Đừng hích họ cãi nhau nữa. (Don't incite them to argue anymore.)
  • Nó thích hích người khác cho nổi nóng. (He likes to provoke others to get angry.)

Advanced Usage

• "hích hích": A reduplicated form suggesting repeated, light nudging or poking.
  • Đứa bé cứ hích hích vào lưng mẹ. (The child kept poking his mother's back.)
• The action is often intentional and can range from playful to aggressive, depending on context.

Variants and Related Words

• Khích (verb): To provoke, to incite. This is a near-synonym for the figurative meaning of , though is more commonly used in verbal/written provocation, while retains a stronger physical connotation.
• Đẩy (verb): To push. A more general term for pushing, without the specific connotation of a sharp, sudden nudge.
• Thúc (verb): To prod, to urge. Can be used both physically (e.g., prodding with a stick) and metaphorically (e.g., urging someone to act).

Synonyms

• Jostle: To push or bump against someone roughly.
• Nudge: To push gently, especially with the elbow.
• Provoke: To stimulate or incite (for the figurative meaning).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Hích cùi chỏ / khuỷu tay: To nudge with the elbow.
  • Anh ta hích cùi chỏ vào tôi để ra hiệu. (He nudged me with his elbow to signal.)
• Hích vai: To nudge with the shoulder.
  • Cầu thủ dùng vai để hích đối thủ. (The player used his shoulder to jostle the opponent.)

Related Idioms

• Hích cho nổ đom đóm mắt / Hích cho hoa mày chóng mặt: (Colloquial) To hit/jostle someone so hard they "see stars." Emphasizes the forceful, jarring nature of the action.
  • Nó hích tôi một cái, tưởng nổ đom đóm mắt. (He gave me such a jostle, I thought I saw stars.)

verb

1. to jostle