Definition

1. Verb (informal):
   • To exaggerate; to overstate: To describe something as being greater, more significant, or more severe than it actually is.
   • To denounce; to accuse publicly: To formally or publicly condemn someone, often in a political or judicial context (e.g., during land reform campaigns).

Usage Examples

• Verb (to exaggerate):

  • Anh đừng có tố lên, chuyện nhỏ thôi mà. (Don't exaggerate; it's just a small matter.)
  • Cô ấy thường tố mọi chuyện lên cho nghiêm trọng. (She often blows things out of proportion.)

• Verb (to denounce):

  • Trong cuộc cải cách ruộng đất, nông dân được vận động tố địa chủ. (During the land reform, peasants were mobilized to denounce the landlords.)
  • Họ bị tố là đã tham nhũng. (They were denounced for being corrupt.)

Advanced Usage

• "tố cáo": This is the standard, formal term for "to denounce" or "to accuse." The verb "tố" in the sense of "denounce" is often a shortened form related to this compound.
  • Người đó đã tố cáo hành vi vi phạm. (That person denounced the violation.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tố khổ (v): To voice grievances; to recount one's sufferings (often in a political context like land reform).
  • Bà cụ đứng lên tố khổ trước tòa án. (The old woman stood up to voice her grievances before the court.)

Synonyms

• Exaggerate: To represent something as larger or more important than it is.
• Overstate: To state too strongly.
• Denounce: To condemn publicly.
• Accuse: To charge someone with wrongdoing.

Related Idioms

• Tố địa chủ: A specific historical phrase meaning "to denounce the landlord," referring to the practices during the mid-20th century land reform in Vietnam.
  • Phong trào tố địa chủ diễn ra khắp nơi. (The movement to denounce landlords took place everywhere.)