Definition

1. Noun:

   • Savage; barbarian: A derogatory historical term for peoples or tribes considered uncivilized, primitive, or foreign by the speaker's culture.
   • Small, tough cord: A thin, durable string or cord, often used for binding.

2. Adjective:

   • Gaudy; loud (color): Describes a color that is excessively bright, garish, or glaring, and therefore lacking in taste or subtlety.

Usage Examples

• Noun (savage/barbarian):

  • Lịch sử ghi lại các cuộc xâm lược của rợ từ phương Bắc. (History records invasions by barbarians from the North.)
  • Họ bị gọi là rợ vì phong tục khác biệt. (They were called savages because of their different customs.)

• Noun (cord):

  • Người ta dùng sợi rợ để buộc chân gà. (People use a piece of cord to tie the chicken's feet.)

• Adjective (color):

  • Cái áo đó có màu rợ quá, không hợp. (That shirt has a too gaudy color, it's not suitable.)
  • Tranh của anh ấy đôi khi bị chê là dùng màu rợ. (His paintings are sometimes criticized for using loud colors.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "rợ" as "savage/barbarian" is archaic and highly pejorative. Its modern use is primarily in historical contexts or to strongly condemn perceived brutal behavior, such as in "rợ phát-xít" (fascist savages).
• The adjectival use for color is subjective but commonly understood to criticize a lack of aesthetic refinement.

Variants and Related Words

• Rờ rợ (adj): A reduplicated form that slightly softens the meaning, often describing something that is unsettling, eerie, or creepy rather than purely gaudy.
  • Không gian tối om, cảm giác rờ rợ. (The space was pitch dark, giving an eerie feeling.)

Synonyms

• Barbarian, savage (noun).
• Cord, string, twine (noun).
• Garish, loud, flashy, tasteless (adjective, for color).

Related Idioms

• While not a common idiom, the noun can be used in figurative, condemnatory phrases like "hành động như rợ" (to act like savages), implying extreme cruelty or lack of civilization.

noun

1. savage; barbarian