mắc lỡm
Definition
- Verb (informal, often humorous):
- To be tricked, fooled, or duped: To fall for a trick, joke, or deception, often in a lighthearted or non-serious context where the outcome is more embarrassing than harmful.
- To be caught out or to fall into a trap: To be ensnared by a clever setup or prank, leading to a moment of realization and slight humiliation.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nó khoe khoang quá nên cuối cùng mắc lỡm. (He boasted too much and ended up being fooled.)
- Tôi tưởng là thật, ai ngờ mắc lỡm trò đùa của nó. (I thought it was real, who knew I'd fall for his joke.)
- Cả nhóm cười ồ lên khi thấy Nam mắc lỡm. (The whole group burst out laughing when they saw Nam get duped.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often implies the deception was clever or the victim was overconfident, making the resulting embarrassment more pointed. It is frequently used among friends or in storytelling.
Variants and Related Words
- Bị lừa (v): To be deceived or tricked (more general and can be serious).
- Bị gạt (v): To be swindled or conned (often with financial or more severe implications).
Synonyms
- To be had: To be tricked or deceived.
- To fall for something: To be deceived by a trick or story.
- To be taken in: To be deceived, especially by something clever.
Related Idioms
- Mắc mưu: To fall for a scheme or plot. This is a close synonym but can imply a slightly more calculated deception than "mắc lỡm."
- Đừng có mắc mưu những lời đường mật ấy. (Don't fall for those honeyed words.)