ngậm hờn
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To swallow one's resentment/bitterness: To suppress or endure feelings of deep-seated anger, grievance, or sorrow without expressing them outwardly. It implies a forced silence and internal suffering due to an injustice or slight.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Sau cuộc tranh cãi bất công, cô ấy chỉ biết ngậm hờn mà không nói được lời nào. (After the unfair argument, she could only swallow her resentment without being able to say a word.)
- Người dân thường phải ngậm hờn trước sự hống hách của kẻ có quyền. (Common people often have to swallow their bitterness in the face of the arrogance of those in power.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a poetic or literary tone, describing a state of helpless, dignified, or long-suffering endurance. It is frequently used in narratives about historical injustice, personal betrayal, or societal oppression.
Variants and Related Words
- Ôm hận (verb phrase): to harbor hatred/resentment. This is a close synonym but may imply a more active, lasting holding onto the feeling rather than the specific act of swallowing it down.
- Ông ấy ôm hận suốt nhiều năm. (He harbored resentment for many years.)
Synonyms
- To bottle up one's indignation: To refuse to express angry feelings.
- To choke back one's resentment: To suppress a feeling with effort.
- To endure in silent bitterness: To suffer patiently without complaint while feeling wronged.
Related Idioms
- Ngậm đắng nuốt cay: (lit. to hold the bitter and swallow the spicy) A closely related idiom meaning to endure all kinds of bitterness and hardship in silence. It emphasizes the stoic endurance of suffering.
- Để nuôi con, bà ấy đã ngậm đắng nuốt cay suốt đời. (To raise her children, she endured a life of silent hardship.)