ton hót
Definition
- Verb:
- To flatter and slander: The act of ingratiating oneself with a superior or authority figure through excessive praise (flattery) while simultaneously speaking ill of or slandering another person. It implies duplicitous behavior aimed at gaining favor at someone else's expense.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn ta chỉ giỏi ton hót sếp để hạ bệ đồng nghiệp. (He is only good at flattering the boss to bring down his colleagues.)
- Môi trường ấy đầy những kẻ ton hót. (That environment is full of people who flatter and slander.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "ton hót" is almost exclusively used in a negative, critical context to describe manipulative and unethical social or office politics. It carries a strong connotation of sycophancy combined with malice.
Variants and Related Words
- Nịnh hót (v): to flatter, to adulate. This is a more common synonym but often lacks the explicit component of slandering others that is central to "ton hót".
- Anh ấy thường nịnh hót cấp trên. (He often flatters his superiors.)
Synonyms
- To fawn (while backbiting): to act servilely while speaking maliciously about others.
- To suck up (and badmouth): (informal) to flatter excessively while denigrating someone else.
Related Idioms
- "Ton hót nịnh bợ": This phrase intensifies the meaning, emphasizing both the flattery (nịnh bợ) and the slanderous gossip (ton hót) aspects of the behavior.
- Bộ phận đó chỉ có ton hót nịnh bợ. (That department only has flattery and slander.)