Definition

1. Verb:
   • To flatter: To praise someone, especially someone in a superior position, excessively and insincerely in order to gain favor or advantage.
   • To fawn (on/upon): To behave in a servile, overly attentive, and flattering manner towards someone to please them.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta luôn nịnh sếp để được thăng chức. (He always flatters the boss to get a promotion.)
  • Đừng nịnh tôi. (Don't flatter me.)
  • Cô ấy khéo nịnh bà chủ. (She knows how to fawn on her employer.)

Advanced Usage

• "nịnh hót": to flatter and toady; implies a more elaborate and insincere act of flattery.

  • Hắn chỉ giỏi nịnh hót cấp trên. (He is only good at toadying to his superiors.)

• "nịnh nọt": to butter up; similar to "nịnh hót," emphasizing fawning behavior.

  • Thái độ nịnh nọt của anh ta thật đáng khinh. (His buttering-up attitude is truly despicable.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nịnh bợ (v): to flatter obsequiously, to suck up to.

  • Hắn chuyên nịnh bợ người có quyền thế. (He specializes in sucking up to people in power.)

• Nịnh đầm (v, colloquial): to flatter women, often with romantic or ulterior motives.

  • Anh chàng đó rất biết cách nịnh đầm. (That guy knows how to flatter women.)

Synonyms

• Flatter: To compliment excessively and often insincerely.
• Fawn: To flatter in a servile, cringing manner.
• Butter up (idiomatic): To flatter someone to gain their favor.
• Toady: To act in an obsequious, flattering way.

Related Idioms

• Nịnh thần nịnh thánh: To flatter someone as if they were a god or a saint; to flatter excessively and shamelessly.

  • Cứ thấy cấp trên là hắn lại nịnh thần nịnh thánh. (Whenever he sees a superior, he flatters them as if they were divine.)

• Bợ đỡ nịnh hót: A phrase combining words for sycophancy, describing the act of fawning and flattering.

  • Môi trường đó đầy rẫy thói bợ đỡ nịnh hót. (That environment is full of sycophancy and fawning.)

1. Flatter, fawn on, fawn upon