thoái chí
Definition
- 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.)