Definition

1. Verb:
   • To destroy completely by burning: "thiêu hủy" means to burn something until it is completely destroyed or reduced to ashes.
   • To annihilate by fire: It implies a thorough, often intentional, act of destruction using fire, leaving little or nothing behind.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cảnh sát đã thiêu hủy số ma túy bị thu giữ. (The police destroyed the confiscated drugs by burning them.)
  • Ngọn lửa đã thiêu hủy toàn bộ khu rừng. (The fire burned down the entire forest.)
  • Các tài liệu mật phải được thiêu hủy. (The secret documents must be incinerated.)

Advanced Usage

• "thiêu hủy hoàn toàn": to burn to the ground; to destroy utterly by fire.

  • Căn nhà bị thiêu hủy hoàn toàn trong đám cháy. (The house was completely burned down in the fire.)

• "thiêu hủy bằng lửa": to destroy by means of fire.

  • Họ thiêu hủy bằng lửa tất cả bằng chứng. (They destroyed by fire all the evidence.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thiêu (verb): to burn, to cremate. Often used for burning objects or the act of cremation, but does not always carry the strong connotation of complete destruction.
  • thiêu rụi (verb phrase): to burn to ashes.
• Hủy (verb): to destroy, to cancel, to annul. Can be used independently or in other compounds.
  • hủy diệt (verb): to annihilate, to exterminate (often on a large scale).
• Đốt (verb): to burn, to set on fire. A more general and common term for the act of burning.

Synonyms

• Đốt cháy: to burn, to set ablaze.
• Phá hủy bằng lửa: to destroy by fire.
• Thiêu rụi: to burn to the ground/to ashes.
• Hóa tro: to reduce to ashes.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As a single verb, "thiêu hủy" does not commonly form phrasal verbs in the same way English verbs do. Its meaning is typically modified by adverbs or prepositional phrases, as shown in the "Advanced Usage" section.

Related Idioms

• Thiêu sống: to burn alive.
  • Kẻ thù bị bắt và bị thiêu sống. (The enemy was captured and burned alive.)
• Thiêu thành tro bụi: to burn to dust and ashes (emphasizing total destruction).
  • Cơn thịnh nộ của anh ấy như muốn thiêu thành tro bụi mọi thứ. (His rage was as if wanting to burn everything to dust and ashes.)

verb

1. to destroy, to burn down