Definition

1. Verb:
   • To feel awkward, to feel embarrassed: "sượng mặt" describes the feeling of shame or embarrassment that is so intense it becomes apparent on one's face, often due to a loss of dignity or being put in an uncomfortable situation. It implies a sense of being brazenly exposed or feeling shamelessly awkward.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy sượng mặt khi bị phát hiện nói dối. (He felt awkward when he was caught lying.)
  • Bị chỉ trích trước mặt mọi người, cô ấy sượng mặt không biết nói gì. (Criticized in front of everyone, she felt so embarrassed she didn't know what to say.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm cho ai đó sượng mặt": to make someone feel awkward or embarrassed.
  • Câu hỏi bất ngờ của anh ta làm tôi sượng mặt. (His unexpected question made me feel awkward.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sượng (adj/verb): to feel a rough, unpleasant texture (physically) or to feel awkward/embarrassed (figuratively). "Sượng mặt" is a specific idiomatic phrase derived from this.
  • Trái cây này ăn hơi sượng. (This fruit tastes a bit rough/astringent.)
• Xấu hổ (verb): to feel ashamed. This is a more general synonym.
• Ngượng ngùng (adj/verb): to feel shy or bashfully embarrassed, often less intense than "sượng mặt".

Synonyms

• Cảm thấy ngượng: to feel embarrassed.
• Cảm thấy xấu hổ: to feel ashamed.
• Bối rối: to feel flustered or confused (can overlap in contexts of social discomfort).

Related Idioms

• Mặt dày: (lit. thick-faced) to be shameless or brazen. This is somewhat the opposite state; "sượng mặt" is what a person who is not "mặt dày" would feel.
  • Hắn ta mặt dày lắm, chê thẳng cũng không sượng mặt. (He is very shameless, even direct criticism doesn't make him feel awkward.)

verb

1. to feel awkward