Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unctuously smooth or slick: Describes speech or behavior that is excessively and superficially pleasant, flattering, or amiable, often to conceal insincerity, malice, or deceitful intentions.
   • Disingenuously affable: Refers to a manner that is overly friendly and smooth on the surface but is hypocritical or treacherous underneath.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ta lúc nào cũng thơn thớt nói cười với sếp. (He is always unctuously smiling and talking with the boss.)
  • Đừng tin vào vẻ ngoài thơn thớt của hắn. (Don't trust his slick, disingenuous exterior.)
  • Bề ngoài thơn thớt, nhưng trong lòng đầy toan tính. (Outwardly smooth-talking, but inwardly full of schemes.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is almost exclusively used to describe a deceitful or two-faced quality in a person's demeanor, particularly their speech and facial expressions (like smiling). It carries a strong negative connotation of hypocrisy.

Variants and Related Words

• Thớt lợt (adj): A less common variant with a similar meaning of being slickly and deceitfully pleasant.

Synonyms

• Unctuous: Excessively flattering or ingratiating.
• Slick: Deceptively smooth and facile.
• Disingenuous: Not candid or sincere, typically by pretending to know less than one does.
• Two-faced: Insincere and deceitful.

Related Idioms

• Thơn thớt nói cười: To talk and laugh in a slick, deceitfully amiable manner. This is the most common collocation for the word.
  • Cô ấy thơn thớt nói cười với mọi người nhưng hay nói xấu sau lưng. (She talks and laughs unctuously with everyone but often gossips behind their backs.)