tham bạo
Definition
- Adjective:
- Greedy and cruel: An archaic term describing a person who is both excessively avaricious and brutally violent or oppressive. It characterizes a nature driven by insatiable desire for gain coupled with a willingness to use cruelty to achieve it.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Vị quan đó nổi tiếng là một kẻ tham bạo. (That mandarin was famous for being a greedy and cruel person.)
- Triều đại ấy sụp đổ dưới bàn tay tham bạo của một số lãnh chúa. (That dynasty collapsed under the greedy and cruel hands of some warlords.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily found in historical or literary contexts to describe tyrannical rulers, corrupt officials, or oppressive figures from the past. Its usage in modern spoken Vietnamese is very rare.
Variants and Related Words
- Tham lam (adj): greedy, avaricious.
- Hắn ta là một người tham lam. (He is a greedy person.)
- Bạo ngược (adj): tyrannical, cruel and oppressive.
- Một chế độ bạo ngược. (A tyrannical regime.)
- Tàn bạo (adj): brutal, savage. (Note: This is a more common modern synonym for "cruel," but does not inherently contain the meaning of "greedy").
Synonyms
- Rapacious and brutal: seizing by violence and motivated by greed.
- Avaricious and tyrannical: marked by excessive desire for wealth and oppressive power.
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom using the exact phrase "tham bạo," the concept is related to idioms describing tyranny and greed, such as:
- Tham lam độc ác: greedy and malicious.
- Bọn cường hào tham lam độc ác. (The cruel and greedy village despots.)