khống cáo
Definition
- Verb:
- To falsely accuse; to bring a false lawsuit: "Khống cáo" means to accuse someone or sue someone in court based on untrue or fabricated claims, with malicious intent.
- To slanderously prosecute (archaic): An older, formal term for initiating legal proceedings with slanderous or defamatory accusations.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn khống cáo người hàng xóm với tội trộm cắp mà không có bằng chứng. (He falsely accused his neighbor of theft without evidence.)
- Trong xã hội phong kiến, việc khống cáo người khác có thể bị trừng phạt nặng. (In feudal society, falsely accusing others could be severely punished.)
Advanced Usage
- Legal Context: The term is strongly associated with legal and judicial contexts, implying a formal, malicious legal accusation.
- Bị cáo khẳng định mình bị khống cáo và yêu cầu bồi thường danh dự. (The defendant asserted he was falsely accused and demanded compensation for damage to his reputation.)
Variants and Related Words
- Kiện cáo (v): To sue, to litigate. (A more general, neutral term for legal action, whereas "khống cáo" specifies the action as false.)
- Vu cáo (v): To slander, to falsely accuse. (Similar in meaning but can be used in both legal and everyday contexts; "khống cáo" is more specifically legal/formal.)
- Tố cáo (v): To denounce, to accuse. (Can be used for truthful or false accusations depending on context.)
Synonyms
- Vu khống (v): To slander, to calumniate.
- Bịa đặt để kiện (v): To fabricate in order to sue.
Related Phrases
- Khống cáo gian (phrase): To accuse deceitfully/fraudulently. (Emphasizes the deceptive nature of the false accusation.)
- Đó là một vụ khống cáo gian nhằm hãm hại đối thủ kinh doanh. (That was a fraudulent lawsuit aimed at harming a business rival.)
Related Idioms
- (Không có a widely-used, fixed idiom specifically for "khống cáo". It is itself a formal term often used in legal descriptions.)