Definition

Verb: - To act in a servile, groveling, or excessively submissive manner: The word describes the behavior of someone who lowers themselves, flatters, or humiliates themselves to curry favor with those in power or authority. It implies a lack of dignity and self-respect in order to gain advantage or avoid trouble.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta luôn luồn cúi trước sếp để được thăng chức. (He always grovels before the boss to get a promotion.)
  • Tôi không bao giờ chấp nhận luồn cúi để được việc. (I never accept groveling to get things done.)
  • Bản chất của hắn là thích luồn cúi những kẻ có quyền thế. (His nature is to fawn over those with power.)

Advanced Usage

• "vào luồn ra cúi": This is a common four-word idiom that intensifies the meaning, describing someone who is constantly and busily engaged in servile behavior, going in and out to flatter and please superiors.
  • Hắn suốt ngày vào luồn ra cúi trước ông chủ mới. (He spends all day bowing and scraping before the new boss.)

Variants and Related Words

• Luồn lách (verb): To wriggle, to maneuver cunningly (often through loopholes or difficult situations). While it can imply cunning, it does not necessarily carry the same strong connotation of servile humiliation as "luồn cúi."
• Khúm núm (verb/adjective): To be timidly obsequious, to cower respectfully. It describes a physical posture of subservience.
• Nịnh hót (verb): To flatter, to butter up. Focuses on the use of praise rather than the overall servile behavior.
• Quỵ luỵ (verb): To submit obsequiously, to be subservient. Very close in meaning to "luồn cúi."

Synonyms

• To grovel: To behave in a servile way; to abase oneself.
• To fawn (over/on): To flatter excessively or display exaggerated affection, especially to gain favor.
• To kowtow: To act in an excessively subservient manner (from the Chinese custom of touching the forehead to the ground).
• To bow and scrape: To behave obsequiously or too respectfully.

Related Idioms

• "vào luồn ra cúi": As mentioned above, this is the primary and most common idiom, meaning to be constantly and busily groveling.
  • Muốn thăng tiến trong công ty đó, anh phải vào luồn ra cúi. (To advance in that company, you have to bow and scrape constantly.)

verb

1. to crawl; to crouch; to creep