làm dữ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To kick up a row / to make a scene: To react or behave in an excessively angry, loud, or aggressive manner, often to intimidate others or to force them to comply with one's wishes, even over a minor issue.
- To act fierce / to act aggressively: To adopt a deliberately threatening or violent attitude.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Cô ấy làm dữ với nhân viên bán hàng. (She kicked up a row with the sales clerk.)
- Đừng làm dữ, chúng ta có thể nói chuyện bình tĩnh. (Don't make a scene, we can talk calmly.)
- Anh ta làm dữ để mọi người phải sợ. (He acted aggressively to make everyone afraid.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies the anger or aggression is performative or exaggerated, used as a tactic to achieve a goal rather than being a genuine, uncontrollable emotional reaction.
- It is frequently used in contexts describing domestic disputes, customer complaints, or negotiations where one party uses intimidation.
Variants and Related Words
- Làm ầm lên / Làm ầm ĩ (v): To make a loud noise or fuss. This is a close synonym but may lack the specific connotation of deliberate aggression found in "làm dữ".
- Gây sự (v): To pick a fight, to start trouble. This emphasizes initiating conflict.
Synonyms
- To make a scene: To create a loud, embarrassing public disturbance.
- To throw a tantrum: To have an uncontrolled outburst of anger, often like a child.
- To act up: To behave in a rebellious or troublesome way.
- To bluster: To talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.
Related Idioms
- Nổi cơn thịnh nộ: To fly into a rage. This idiom suggests a more genuine and sudden burst of anger compared to the often strategic "làm dữ".
- Giận cá chém thớt: Literally "angry at the fish, chops the cutting board"; meaning to take out one's anger on an innocent party. This describes misdirected anger, which can be a result of "làm dữ".