ngoa mồm
Definition
- Verb:
- To exaggerate with one's mouth; to speak hyperbolically or with excessive embellishment: The primary meaning refers to the act of making statements that are overstated or not strictly true, often for dramatic effect or emphasis. It focuses on the verbal action of overstating.
- To talk boastfully or brag excessively: It can also imply speaking in a way that makes something seem much greater or more important than it really is, often to impress others.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đừng có ngoa mồm, câu chuyện không hấp dẫn đến thế đâu. (Don't exaggerate; the story isn't that fascinating.)
- Nó chỉ đang ngoa mồm về thành tích của mình thôi. (He's just bragging excessively about his achievements.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is colloquial and often carries a mildly critical or dismissive tone, suggesting the listener should not take the speaker's words at face value.
- It specifically emphasizes the act of speaking ( means "mouth"), so it is directly related to verbal communication rather than general exaggeration.
Variants and Related Words
Ngoa ngoắt (adj): Utterly exaggerated or fabricated; often used to describe a story or statement that is wildly untrue.
- Lời kể của nó hoàn toàn ngoa ngoắt. (His account is completely fabricated.)
Khoác lác (v): To brag or boast loudly and shamelessly; a stronger synonym focusing on boastfulness.
- Anh ta thích khoác lác về chuyến đi của mình. (He likes to brag about his trip.)
Synonyms
- Exaggerate: To represent something as being larger, better, or worse than it really is.
- Overstate: To state too strongly; to exaggerate in describing.
- Brag: To talk boastfully about one's achievements or possessions.
Related Idioms
- Nói phét: To tell tall tales; to talk big. This is a very close synonym and is often used interchangeably in casual speech.
- Thằng bé hay nói phét chuyện gặp người nổi tiếng. (The boy often tells tall tales about meeting celebrities.)