tru diệt
Definition
- Verb:
- To exterminate / to annihilate: To deliberately and systematically kill a large group of people, often with the intent of complete eradication. This term carries a strong connotation of brutality and scale, typically used for acts against populations, ethnic groups, or large numbers of prisoners.
- To wipe out: To destroy completely, leaving no survivors.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Bọn phát xít đã tru diệt hàng ngàn tù binh. (The fascists exterminated thousands of prisoners.)
- Âm mưu tru diệt cả một dân tộc là tội ác chống lại loài người. (The plot to annihilate an entire nation is a crime against humanity.)
- Căn bệnh đó gần như đã tru diệt loài cây này. (That disease nearly wiped out this species of plant.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is most severe and formal, primarily used in historical, political, or legal contexts to describe atrocities, genocide, or mass killings. It is not used for ordinary killing or murder.
Variants and Related Words
- Tru diệt tam tộc / cửu tộc (v): A historical term meaning to exterminate three or nine generations of a family (a punishment for treason).
- Vua ra lệnh tru diệt tam tộc của kẻ phản nghịch. (The king ordered the extermination of three generations of the rebel's family.)
Synonyms
- Exterminate: To destroy completely.
- Annihilate: To destroy utterly.
- Wipe out: To eliminate entirely.
- Massacre: To kill a large number of people.
Related Idioms
- Tru diệt tận gốc: To eradicate root and branch; to eliminate completely, leaving no trace.
- Họ muốn tru diệt tận gốc kẻ thù. (They wanted to eradicate the enemy root and branch.)