Definition

1. Verb:
   • To become discouraged / to lose heart: To experience a decline in enthusiasm, confidence, or determination, often due to difficulties, failures, or setbacks.
   • To be demoralized: To lose spirit, hope, or the will to continue striving for a goal.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Sau nhiều lần thất bại, anh ấy bắt đầu thoái chí. (After many failures, he began to lose heart.)
  • Đừng thoái chí vì những lời chỉ trích. (Don't become discouraged by criticism.)
  • Cô ấy không hề thoái chí trước khó khăn. (She was not at all demoralized by the difficulty.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often used to describe an internal emotional and psychological state resulting from external pressures or results. It implies a withdrawal of effort or a dampening of one's fighting spirit.

Variants and Related Words

• Nản chí (v): A very close synonym, meaning to feel disheartened or daunted.
  • Công việc khó quá khiến tôi nản chí. (The work is so difficult it makes me disheartened.)
• Thoái lui (v): To retreat, withdraw, or back down (often physical or strategic, whereas "thoái chí" is psychological).
  • Quân đội buộc phải thoái lui. (The army was forced to retreat.)

Synonyms

• To become discouraged
• To lose heart
• To be disheartened
• To be demoralized
• To be daunted

Antonyms

• Phấn chấn (v): to be cheered up, to be in high spirits.
• Quyết tâm (adj/n): determined, determination.
• Kiên trì (adj): persistent, persevering.

Related Idioms

• Chán nản, thất vọng: A common phrase pairing meaning "dispirited and disappointed," which describes a state similar to "thoái chí."
  • Kết quả thi khiến cậu ấy chán nản, thất vọng. (The exam result made him feel dispirited and disappointed.)