Definition

1. Verb:
   • To intimidate; to bully; to threaten in order to make someone afraid or submissive: The act of using a stern, angry, or threatening manner to frighten someone, often someone weaker.

Usage

• Nộ nạt is used to describe the action of scaring or threatening someone, typically through words, tone, or demeanor, to force compliance or instill fear. It often implies an unfair power dynamic, such as an adult towards a child or a stronger person towards a weaker one.
• It is a transitive verb and is commonly followed by a direct object (the person being intimidated).

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Làm gì mà cứ nộ nạt trẻ con thế? (Why do you keep intimidating children like that?)
  • Anh ta thích nộ nạt những nhân viên mới. (He likes to bully the new employees.)
  • Đừng nộ nạt em nó nữa! (Stop intimidating her!)

Advanced Usage

• "hay nộ nạt": prone to intimidating, often bullies.
  • Ông chủ đó hay nộ nạt nhân viên. (That boss often intimidates his staff.)
• The word carries a negative connotation, criticizing the behavior as mean-spirited and cowardly.

Variants and Related Words

• Hăm dọa / Dọa nạt (verb): to threaten, to menace. These are close synonyms but can sometimes be slightly less intense or more general than nộ nạt, which often implies a show of anger.
• Bắt nạt (verb): to bully. This is a very common synonym, especially for peer-to-peer bullying.
• Hù dọa (verb): to scare, to frighten (often suddenly).

Synonyms

• Intimidate: to make someone feel frightened or less confident.
• Bully: to use strength or power to frighten or hurt someone weaker.
• Browbeat: to intimidate someone into doing something, typically with stern or abusive words.
• Terrorize: to create and maintain a state of extreme fear and distress (stronger than nộ nạt).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• is not typically used in phrasal verb constructions in Vietnamese. The action is usually expressed directly.

Related Idioms

• There is no common idiom that uses the exact word nộ nạt. However, the concept is related to idioms about bullying or using force, such as:
  • "Ỷ mạnh hiếp yếu": To use one's strength to oppress the weak. This describes the unjust dynamic inherent in nộ nạt.

1. Intimidate
   • Làm gì mà cứ nộ nạt trẻ thế?
     Why intimidate children?