Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Wronged, unjustly accused, suffering a grave injustice: Describes the state of being a victim of a blatant and severe injustice, often involving false accusations or unfair treatment that causes deep suffering.
   • Feeling a profound sense of injustice: Conveys a strong emotional state of grievance and resentment due to being treated unfairly.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy chết trong oan ức. (He died wronged/with a grave injustice unredressed.)
  • Tôi cảm thấy vô cùng oan ức vì bị đổ lỗi cho việc mình không làm. (I feel deeply wronged for being blamed for something I didn't do.)
  • Tiếng kêu oan ức của người dân vang lên khắp nơi. (The cries of injustice from the people resounded everywhere.)

Advanced Usage

• "mang tiếng oan ức": to bear the stigma of a wrongful accusation; to be unjustly defamed.

  • Ông ấy đã mang tiếng oan ức suốt mười năm trời. (He bore the stigma of a wrongful accusation for ten long years.)

• "chết oan ức" / "chết trong oan ức": to die wronged; to die without the injustice against one being rectified.

  • Nhân vật chính trong vở kịch đã chết một cái chết oan ức. (The main character in the play died a wrongful death.)

Variants and Related Words

• Oan (adj/n): Wrongful, unjust; a wrongful case or accusation. (A more general term for injustice, often used in compounds).

  • vụ án oan (a miscarriage of justice / a wrongful conviction)

• Uất ức (adj): Resentful, indignant, pent-up (from unfair treatment). Often used alongside oan ức to emphasize the emotional burden.

  • Lòng đầy uất ức (A heart full of resentment)

Synonyms

• Bất công (adj/n): Unfair, unjust; injustice. (Focuses more on the abstract quality of unfairness rather than the personal experience of being its victim).
• Hàm oan (v): To be falsely accused; to be wronged. (A verbal form describing the action of being wronged).

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Oan ức như Thị Kính: As wronged as Thị Kính. (A Vietnamese idiom referring to a proverbial character from folk tales who suffered extreme and tragic injustice).

  • Số phận của cô ấy oan ức như Thị Kính. (Her fate was as tragic and unjust as Thị Kính's.)

• Giải oan: To clear someone's name; to redress a wrong.

  • Họ đã nỗ lực để giải oan cho người bị kết án sai. (They made efforts to clear the name of the wrongly convicted person.)

• Kêu oan: To cry out against an injustice; to appeal for justice.

  • Người dân kêu oan trước tòa thị chính. (The people appealed for justice in front of the town hall.)

1. Being victim of a glaring injustice