toẹt
Definition
Onomatopoeia:
- The sound of spitting or forcefully expelling saliva from the mouth.
- The sound of something being rejected or dismissed abruptly and contemptuously.
Adverb (colloquial):
- Bluntly, crudely, point-blank: Used to describe speaking in a brutally direct, frank, and often tactless manner, leaving no room for doubt or subtlety.
- Completely, outright: Used to describe an action of total and often scornful rejection or dismissal.
Usage Examples
Onomatopoeia:
- Nghe tiếng toẹt từ phía sau. (Hearing the sound of spit from behind.)
- Giám khảo sổ toẹt bài luận đó. (The judge rejected that essay outright. / Literally: made a "toẹt" sound of rejection at that essay.)
Adverb:
- Anh ta nói toẹt ra sự thật mất lòng. (He blurted out the unpleasant truth.)
- Ý tưởng ấy bị bác toẹt ngay lập tức. (That idea was shot down point-blank immediately.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used in fixed, idiomatic verb phrases like "nói toẹt ra" (to say bluntly), "sổ toẹt" (to reject scornfully), and "bác toẹt" (to refuse outright). These phrases carry a strong connotation of abrupt, final, and sometimes rude dismissal or frankness.
Variants and Related Words
- Toèn toẹt (onomatopoeia, adv): A reduplicated form emphasizing repeated spitting sounds or, more commonly, the act of revealing everything bluntly and completely.
- Kẻ gian khai toèn toẹt mọi chuyện. (The culprit confessed everything point-blank.)
Synonyms
- Bluntly: In a direct and uncompromising manner.
- Outright: Completely and immediately; without reservation.
- Point-blank: In a direct, blunt manner without explanation or warning.
Related Idioms
Nói toẹt ra / Nói toẹt hết ra: To lay all the cards on the table; to speak one's mind bluntly without hiding anything.
- Thôi, nói toẹt ra là tôi không đồng ý. (Alright, to put it bluntly, I don't agree.)
Sổ toẹt: To reject or fail something (like a piece of writing or a proposal) decisively and with contempt.
- Bản kế hoạch bị sếp sổ toẹt. (The plan was given a flat rejection by the boss.)