Definition

1. Verb:
   • To bore; to pierce; to drill: To make a hole or hollow in a solid material using a tool or instrument.
   • To gouge; to hollow out: To remove material to create a cavity or deeper recess.
   • To extort; to squeeze (money): (Figurative, colloquial) To exploit or pressure someone to obtain money, often through corrupt or unfair means.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Physical Action):
  • Người thợ khoét một lỗ trên tường. (The worker bored a hole in the wall.)
  • Con mối đã khoét rỗng khúc gỗ. (The termites hollowed out the log.)
• Verb (Figurative Action):
  • Bọn cho vay nặng lãi chỉ biết khoét tiền của dân nghèo. (The loan sharks only know how to squeeze money from the poor.)

Advanced Usage

• "khoét sâu": to deepen (literally or figuratively).
  • Nhà báo muốn khoét sâu vào vụ bê bối. (The journalist wants to dig deeper into the scandal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đục khoét (v): to gouge out; often used figuratively for systematic corruption or exploitation.
  • Bọn tham quan đục khoét của công. (The corrupt officials embezzled public property.)

Synonyms

• Pierce: to make a hole by puncturing.
• Gouge: to cut or scoop out.
• Extort: to obtain something by force or threat.

Related Idioms

• Khoét vào túi người khác: To pick someone's pocket (figuratively, to take money unfairly).
  • Chính sách thuế đó như là khoét vào túi người dân. (That tax policy is like picking the pockets of the people.)

verb

1. to bore; to pierce; to broach
   • khoét lỗ
     to pierce a hole