Definition

Verb: 1. To urge, to prod, to press: To strongly encourage or push someone to take action, often creating a sense of urgency or necessity. 2. To impel, to drive: To create an internal feeling or strong desire that compels one to act.

Usage

The verb "thôi thúc" describes an action of pushing or an internal feeling of being pushed. It can be used with a direct object (urging someone) or intransitively (feeling urged by something). It conveys a stronger, more persistent, and often more emotional sense of pressure than simple encouragement.

Examples

• Transitive (urging someone):
  • Anh ấy thôi thúc tôi nộp đơn xin việc ngay. (He urged me to submit the job application immediately.)
  • Lương tâm thôi thúc cô ấy phải nói sự thật. (Her conscience compelled her to tell the truth.)
• Intransitive (feeling urged):
  • Tôi cảm thấy thôi thúc phải rời đi. (I felt impelled to leave.)
  • Nhiệm vụ thôi thúc, chúng tôi không thể chậm trễ. (The mission is pressing; we cannot delay.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cảm giác thôi thúc": A compelling feeling, an urge.
  • Anh ta có một cảm giác thôi thúc mạnh mẽ phải quay trở về nhà. (He had a powerful urge to return home.)
• "Sự thôi thúc" (Noun form): The act of urging or the feeling of being urged.
  • Sự thôi thúc nội tâm khiến cô ấy viết cuốn sách đó. (The inner compulsion made her write that book.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thúc giục (verb): To urge, to hasten. Often used interchangeably with "thôi thúc," but "thúc giục" can sometimes imply a more direct, external, and repeated prompting.
• Thúc đẩy (verb): To promote, to drive forward. Focuses more on causing development or progress.
• Giục giã (verb): To hurry someone up, to nag. Often used in the context of催促 someone to do daily tasks faster.

Synonyms

• Giục: To hurry, to press (more casual).
• Hối thúc: To urge insistently.
• Thúc ép: To pressure, to coerce (stronger, with a negative connotation).
• Lôi kéo: To attract, to pull (focuses on attraction rather than pressure).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "Tiếng gọi thôi thúc": The compelling call.
  • Anh nghe thấy tiếng gọi thôi thúc của quê hương. (He heard the compelling call of his homeland.)
• "Lòng thôi thúc": The heart/feeling urges.
  • Lòng thôi thúc, anh quyết định lên đường. (His heart urging him on, he decided to set out.)

verb

1. to prod, to urge