miệng tiếng
Definition
- Noun:
- Gossip; talk; public commentary: Refers to the collective opinions, discussions, or judgments (often critical or speculative) that people express about someone or something. It implies the potential for damage to one's reputation due to public chatter.
- Reputation; name: The common talk or prevailing opinion about a person's character or actions, often with a negative connotation of being the subject of scandal or censure.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cô ấy rất lo sợ miệng tiếng của hàng xóm. (She is very afraid of the neighbors' gossip.)
- Việc làm đó dễ gây miệng tiếng. (That action is likely to cause talk/scandal.)
- Anh ấy không quan tâm đến miệng tiếng thiên hạ. (He doesn't care about public opinion/gossip.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a negative weight, implying undesirable, critical, or damaging talk. It is frequently used in contexts where social judgment and reputation are concerns.
- It is commonly used with verbs like gây ra (to cause), tránh (to avoid), sợ (to fear), lo (to worry about), and để ý đến (to pay attention to).
Variants and Related Words
- Tiếng xấu (n): bad reputation, ill repute.
- Hành động đó mang lại tiếng xấu cho gia đình. (That action brought a bad reputation to the family.)
- Dư luận (n): public opinion (a more formal and neutral term).
- Dư luận đang chỉ trích vụ việc. (Public opinion is criticizing the incident.)
Synonyms
- Gossip: Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as true.
- Talk: Discussion or rumor, often of a personal or private nature.
- Reputation: The beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.
- Scandal: Action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Tránh miệng tiếng (cho): To avoid gossip/scandal (for someone/something).
- Cô ấy ăn mặc kín đáo để tránh miệng tiếng. (She dresses modestly to avoid gossip.)
- Gây miệng tiếng: To cause talk/gossip/scandal.
- Vụ ly hôn của họ gây nhiều miệng tiếng. (Their divorce caused a lot of gossip.)