Definition

1. Verb:
   • To attempt to assassinate; to attempt to murder: The act of planning and trying to kill someone, especially a prominent or public figure. It implies a premeditated plan to end someone's life.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn bị buộc tội mưu sát tổng thống. (He was charged with attempting to assassinate the president.)
  • Âm mưu mưu sát nhà lãnh đạo đã bị phát hiện và ngăn chặn. (The plot to assassinate the leader was discovered and thwarted.)
  • Cảnh sát tin rằng đây là một vụ mưu sát có chủ đích. (The police believe this was a deliberate attempted murder.)

Advanced Usage

• "Âm mưu mưu sát": assassination plot / murder plot.

  • Cơ quan tình báo đã phá vỡ một âm mưu mưu sát phức tạp. (The intelligence agency foiled a complex assassination plot.)

• "Kế hoạch mưu sát": assassination plan.

  • Kế hoạch mưu sát của chúng đã bị lộ. (Their assassination plan was exposed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mưu sĩ (noun): strategist; advisor. (Note: This is a different word; "sĩ" means scholar/gentleman, not related to killing).
• Ám sát (verb): to assassinate (successfully).
  • Nhà báo đó đã bị ám sát. (That journalist was assassinated.)
• Mưu đồ (noun): scheme, plot (general, not necessarily murderous).
• Mưu phản (verb): to plot a rebellion.

Synonyms

• Âm mưu giết người: plot to murder.
• Toan giết: to intend to kill.

Related Phrases

• Vụ mưu sát (noun phrase): an assassination attempt.
  • Vụ mưu sát đã làm rung chuyển cả nước. (The assassination attempt shocked the entire nation.)
• Hành động mưu sát: act of attempted assassination.
  • Hành động mưu sát đó là vô cùng tàn nhẫn. (That act of attempted assassination was extremely cruel.)

Notes on Usage

• "Mưu sát" specifically refers to the or the to kill. It does not by itself confirm that the killing was successful. For a successful killing, "ám sát" is used.
• It is a formal and serious word, typically used in legal, journalistic, or historical contexts concerning planned killings of significant individuals.
• The word combines "mưu" (to plot, to scheme) and "sát" (to kill), literally meaning "plot to kill".

1. Attempt (on someone's life), attempted assassination