Definition

1. Verb:
   • To rummage, to forage, to dig out: To search thoroughly and persistently, often in a messy or intrusive way, in order to find or extract something.
   • To dredge up, to rake up, to nitpick: To deliberately uncover and expose someone's old mistakes, faults, or secrets, often with malicious intent or excessive pettiness.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nó moi móc trong túi xách để tìm chìa khóa. (He rummaged through the bag to find the keys.)
  • Nhà báo đó luôn moi móc những chuyện đời tư của người nổi tiếng. (That journalist always dredges up the private lives of celebrities.)
  • Phê bình nên thẳng thắn, đừng chỉ đi moi móc khuyết điểm của nhau. (Criticism should be straightforward, not just about raking up each other's faults.)

Advanced Usage

• The word carries a strong negative connotation, implying an unwelcome, prying, or excessively meticulous action. It is rarely used in a positive or neutral sense.

Variants and Related Words

• Moi (v): To dig out, to pry out (can be used more literally, e.g., - to pry a snail out of its shell).
• Lục lọi (v): To rummage, to ransack (focuses on the physical act of searching through things).
• Bới móc (v): A near-synonymous compound meaning to dig up and expose faults.

Synonyms

• To rummage: To search untidily and thoroughly.
• To dredge up: To bring something unpleasant or forgotten back to attention.
• To nitpick: To look for small, unimportant faults in a petty way.

Related Idioms

• Moi móc chuyện cũ: To rake up old stories/the past.
  • Anh đừng có moi móc chuyện cũ nữa. (Stop raking up the past.)

1. Rummage, forage (to extract)
2. Expose (someone's defects...), run down
   • Phê bình bạn nhưng không được moi móc
     One can criticize one's friends but must not run tham dowm