luồn lỏi

Thân thiện

Một con mèo luồn lỏi qua hàng rào để vào vườn nhà hàng xóm.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To worm one's way (into/through): To move or proceed in a cunning, stealthy, or insinuating manner, often through narrow or restricted spaces, whether physical or social, typically to gain an advantage, favor, or benefit.
   • To be scheming / to be opportunistic: To act in a calculated, often unscrupulous way, maneuvering through situations or networks to secure personal gain.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn ta luồn lỏi vào các cơ quan chính phủ để kiếm hợp đồng. (He wormed his way into government agencies to secure contracts.)
  • Bọn buôn lậu luồn lỏi qua biên giới. (The smugglers insinuated their way across the border.)
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn chỉ giỏi luồn lỏi để thăng tiến. (Don't trust him; he's only good at scheming for promotion.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a strong negative connotation, implying deceit, lack of principle, or exploitation of loopholes.
• It can describe both literal, physical maneuvering (e.g., through a crowd, a fence) and figurative, social maneuvering (e.g., through bureaucracy, social circles).

Variants and Related Words

• Luồn lách (v): A near-synonym, also meaning to wiggle through or to act in an evasive, cunning manner.
  • Nó luồn lách qua các khe hở của pháp luật. (He wiggles through the loopholes in the law.)

Synonyms

• To insinuate oneself: To subtly and artfully gain favor or penetrate a group.
• To maneuver cunningly: To plan and act with clever, often deceptive, strategy.
• To be an opportunist: To exploit circumstances for immediate gain.

Related Idioms

• Luồn lỏi như rắn: To be as slippery as a snake; describing someone who is extremely cunning and deceitful.
  • Tên tội phạm đó luồn lỏi như rắn, cảnh sát khó bắt lắm. (That criminal is as slippery as a snake; the police find it hard to catch him.)

Học thuật

1. Worm one's way into for benefits