thập thành
Definition
Adjective: - Complete; consummate; thoroughgoing: Used to describe a person, typically in a negative sense, who possesses a quality or engages in a behavior to its fullest, most extreme, or most perfected degree. It often implies a state of being fully formed or accomplished in a particular vice, skill, or characteristic. - Expert; seasoned; hardened: Suggests a high level of experience or proficiency, usually in a negative or morally questionable area, having gone through all stages to become "complete."
Usage Examples
- (He is a consummate scoundrel.)
- (She is considered a seasoned/complete player [often implying in gambling or hedonistic pursuits].)
- (That is a consummate work of art. [Note: This positive usage is less common but possible.])
Advanced Usage
- The term is frequently used in fixed, colloquial phrases to label a person.
- Đĩ thập thành: A consummate/professional prostitute.
- Ăn chơi thập thành: To be a thoroughgoing hedonist; to be completely given over to a life of pleasure-seeking.
Variants and Related Words
- Thành thục (adj): Proficient, skilled (generally neutral or positive).
- Điêu luyện (adj): Masterful, highly skilled (usually positive).
- Cáo già (n): An old fox; a wily, experienced person (often negative).
Synonyms
- Consummate
- Accomplished (in a negative context)
- Hardened
- Seasoned
- Thoroughgoing
Related Idioms
- Đĩ thập thành: A consummate prostitute; a woman completely given to prostitution.
- Khu phố đó nổi tiếng với những ả đĩ thập thành. (That neighborhood is famous for its consummate prostitutes.)
- Lưu manh thập thành: A consummate hoodlum.
- Băng nhóm đó do một tên lưu manh thập thành cầm đầu. (That gang is led by a consummate hoodlum.)