lì lợm
Definition
- Adjective:
- Stubbornly obstinate: Describes a person who is unyieldingly stubborn, refusing to change their attitude, opinion, or course of action despite persuasion, criticism, or pressure.
- Hardened / Shamelessly defiant: Implies a thick-skinned or brazen attitude, showing a lack of concern for others' opinions, reprimands, or social norms.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ tỏ ra rất lì lợm, không chịu nghe lời khuyên của ai. (The child acted very obstinate, refusing to listen to anyone's advice.)
- Anh ta có một thái độ lì lợm trước mọi lời phê bình. (He maintained a defiant attitude in the face of all criticism.)
- Sự im lặng lì lợm của nó khiến mọi người bực mình. (His stubborn silence annoyed everyone.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a negative connotation, describing not just simple stubbornness but a willful, impudent, or insolent refusal to comply. It suggests a person has become impervious to normal social or corrective influences.
Variants and Related Words
Lì (adj): A shorter, more colloquial form meaning stubborn, unyielding.
- Tính nó lì lắm. (He is very stubborn.)
Cứng đầu (adj): Literally "hard-headed"; a close synonym for stubborn.
- Đừng có cứng đầu như thế! (Don't be so hard-headed!)
Synonyms
- Obstinate: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action.
- Intransigent: Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.
- Defiant: Showing open resistance or bold disobedience.
- Implacable: Unable to be placated or appeased.
Related Idioms
- Lì như trâu: As stubborn as a buffalo. A common simile emphasizing extreme, animal-like stubbornness.
- Nó lì như trâu, đã quyết là không ai thay đổi được. (He's as stubborn as a buffalo; once he decides, no one can change it.)