hatchet job
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A severely critical and damaging attack on someone's character, work, or reputation, often perceived as unfair, malicious, or deliberately destructive. It implies a brutal, unsubtle effort to harm or destroy.
Usage
This term is used to describe a piece of writing, speech, or other form of critique that is not a balanced assessment but a vicious, one-sided attack. It often carries the connotation of being personal, biased, and intended to cause maximum damage rather than to offer constructive criticism.
Examples
- The scathing book review wasn't just criticism; it was a complete hatchet job on the author's entire career.
- The politician accused the newspaper of publishing a hatchet job filled with distortions and out-of-context quotes.
- The documentary was widely criticized as a hatchet job on the company, ignoring any of its positive contributions.
Advanced Usage
- To do a hatchet job on someone/something: This is the common verbal phrase used to describe the act of creating such an attack.
- The journalist was accused of doing a hatchet job on the charity's founder.
Variants and Related Words
- Hatchet man (noun): A person, especially a journalist or critic, who is employed or known for making such vicious attacks.
- He was known as the publisher's hatchet man, assigned to write brutal reviews.
Synonyms
- Character assassination
- Smear campaign
- Vilification
- Demolition job (informal)
Antonyms
- Rave review
- Puff piece (an overly flattering article)
- Balanced critique
- Tribute
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Bury the hatchet: This is a related idiom with the opposite meaning. It means to make peace, to end a quarrel. It contrasts with "hatchet job," which is an act of war.
- After years of feuding, the two companies decided to bury the hatchet and collaborate.
Noun
- a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions