Definition

1. Verb:
   • To fondle; to caress: To touch or stroke gently and lovingly, often to show affection or to soothe. This typically refers to physical touch towards a person, child, or pet.
   • To coax; to wheedle; to cajole: To use sweet words, flattery, or gentle persuasion to gain favor, please someone, or achieve a goal. This is a figurative extension of the physical act.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Physical affection):

  • Cô ấy mơn trớn mái tóc của đứa trẻ. (She fondled the child's hair.)
  • Anh ấy mơn trớn con mèo. (He caressed the cat.)

• Verb (Figurative persuasion):

  • Hắn mơn trớn sếp bằng những lời khen. (He wheedled his boss with compliments.)
  • Đừng để bị mua chuộc bởi những lời mơn trớn. (Don't be bought by coaxing words.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a slightly nuanced tone. In the physical sense, it implies tender, repeated touching. In the figurative sense, it can sometimes imply insincerity or manipulation through flattery.

Variants and Related Words

• Vuốt ve (v): To stroke, to pet. This is a more general term for gentle touching and lacks the strong connotation of flattery or coaxing present in "mơn trớn".
• Nịnh nọt (v): To flatter, to adulate. This relates strongly to the figurative meaning of "mơn trớn" but is more explicitly about insincere praise.

Synonyms

• Caress: To touch or stroke gently.
• Fondle: To handle or touch lovingly.
• Cajole: To persuade with flattery or gentle pleading.
• Wheedle: To use endearments or flattery to persuade someone.

Related Idioms

• While "mơn trớn" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, its meaning is central to phrases describing deceptive charm.
  • Dùng lời ngon ngọt mơn trớn: To use sweet, coaxing words.

verb

1. to fondle; to caress