Definition

1. Verb (archaic/literary):
   • To press; to constrain; to coerce: To apply strong pressure, either physical or psychological, to force someone to do something or to submit.
   • To persecute; to oppress: To subject someone to harsh, unjust treatment, especially in a sustained or systematic manner.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bọn cường hào truy bức dân lành. (The local tyrants oppressed the innocent villagers.)
  • Họ bị truy bức phải ký vào bản thỏa thuận. (They were coerced into signing the agreement.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is primarily found in historical, literary, or formal contexts describing oppression, coercion, or persecution, often by figures of authority.

Variants and Related Words

• Truy bách (v, archaic): A near-synonym meaning to press hard, to persecute.
• Bức hại (v): To persecute, to torment.

Synonyms

• Oppress: To keep someone in subservience and hardship, especially by the unjust exercise of authority.
• Coerce: To persuade someone to do something by using force or threats.
• Persecute: To subject someone to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs.

Related Idioms

• Truy bức đến cùng: To press/hound someone to the end; to give no quarter.
  • Kẻ thù truy bức đến cùng, không cho con đường sống. (The enemy pressed relentlessly, allowing no path to survival.)