lươn lẹo
Definition
- Adjective:
- Deceitful / Slippery: Describes a person who is cunning, dishonest, or evasive in speech or behavior, often to trick others or avoid responsibility. It implies a lack of straightforwardness.
- Crooked / Devious: Characterized by underhanded, tricky, or morally ambiguous conduct.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ta rất lươn lẹo, không bao giờ nói thẳng sự thật. (He is very deceitful, never telling the truth directly.)
- Đừng tin hắn, cách nói chuyện lươn lẹo lắm. (Don't trust him; his way of talking is very slippery.)
- Thói lươn lẹo đó sẽ khiến anh mất lòng tin của mọi người. (That devious nature will cause you to lose everyone's trust.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used to describe a characteristic, enduring personality trait rather than a single action.
- It can modify nouns describing speech (e.g., - deceitful words) or behavior (e.g., - a slippery attitude).
Variants and Related Words
- Lắt léo (adj): Sophisticated, intricate, or clever in a tricky way. While sometimes overlapping, can be more neutral (e.g., clever reasoning) than the consistently negative .
- Gian trá (adj): Fraudulent, deceitful. This is a stronger, more direct synonym for dishonesty.
Synonyms
- Deceitful: Intending to mislead or trick.
- Slippery: Evasive and unreliable.
- Devious: Showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals.
- Tricky: Crafty or cunning.
Related Idioms
- Khôn vặt, lươn lẹo: This phrase pairs with (petty cleverness), criticizing someone for using sly, short-sighted cunning.
- Hắn ta chỉ được cái khôn vặt, lươn lẹo chứ không thật thà. (He only has petty cleverness and is deceitful, not honest.)
noun
-
crooked
