nanh nọc
Definition
- Adjective:
- Cruel, fiendish, vicious: "nanh nọc" describes a person who is extremely cruel, malicious, and cunning, often in a hidden or treacherous way. It implies a poisonous, venomous nature akin to a snake's fangs and venom.
- Malicious, spiteful: It can also denote a spiteful and deeply harmful character.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Hắn ta là một kẻ nanh nọc, luôn tìm cách hại người khác. (He is a fiendish person, always looking for ways to harm others.)
- Đừng tin lời nó, con người đó rất nanh nọc. (Don't believe his words; that person is very vicious.)
- Bà ta có cái nhìn nanh nọc khiến ai cũng sợ. (She has a malicious look that frightens everyone.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a figurative sense, comparing a person's harmful nature to the physical danger of venomous fangs ("nanh") and poison ("nọc"). It emphasizes not just overt cruelty but also treacherous cunning.
Variants and Related Words
- Nanh ác (adj): Cruel, ferocious (focuses more on fierceness).
- Độc ác (adj): Wicked, cruel (a more general term for cruelty).
- Thâm độc (adj): Profoundly wicked, deeply malicious (emphasizes depth of malice).
Synonyms
- Độc địa: Malicious, spiteful.
- Hiểm độc: Treacherous and cruel.
- Tàn ác: Brutal, cruel.
Related Idioms
- Miệng nam mô, bụng một bồ dao găm: (Mouth chanting prayers, belly full of daggers) - Similar to "wolf in sheep's clothing," describing hypocrisy and hidden malice, which aligns with the treacherous aspect of "nanh nọc."
- Khẩu Phật tâm xà: (Buddha's mouth, snake's heart) - Meaning someone who speaks kindly but has a venomous, evil heart. This idiom closely relates to the deceitful cruelty implied by "nanh nọc."
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Cruel, fiendish person
