thâm hiểm
Definition
- Adjective:
- Darkly wicked, fiendish: Describes a person, plan, or action that is deeply and secretly malicious, cruel, or evil. The wickedness is often hidden behind a normal or even pleasant appearance.
- Treacherous, insidious: Characterizes behavior that is deceitful and intended to betray or harm someone in a subtle, calculated way that is difficult to detect.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Hắn ta là một kẻ thâm hiểm, luôn tìm cách hại người khác một cách kín đáo. (He is a fiendish person, always looking for discreet ways to harm others.)
- Âm mưu của họ thực sự rất thâm hiểm. (Their plot is truly insidious.)
- Đừng tin anh ta, bề ngoài tử tế nhưng bên trong rất thâm hiểm. (Don't trust him; he seems kind on the outside but is deeply treacherous inside.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to describe a person's nature or character (), or the hidden, dangerous quality of a plan, scheme, or intention ().
Variants and Related Words
- Thâm độc (adj): Deeply poisonous or malicious. Similar to but may emphasize a cruel outcome more than hidden deceit.
- Hiểm độc (adj): Malicious and dangerous. Puts slightly more emphasis on the immediate danger or poison of the action.
Synonyms
- Fiendish: Extremely cruel or unpleasant.
- Insidious: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.
- Treacherous: Guilty of or involving betrayal or deception.
- Devious: Showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals.
Related Idioms
- Ném đá giấu tay (lit. to throw a stone and hide the hand): An idiom closely associated with , meaning to harm someone secretly or to act maliciously while avoiding blame.
- Hành động ném đá giấu tay đúng là thủ đoạn thâm hiểm. (The act of harming someone secretly is truly a fiendish tactic.)
adj
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darkly wicked, fiendish