Definition

1. Verb (archaic):
   • To avenge a great wrong; to exact revenge: To cleanse or wash away a deep-seated grievance or blood feud by taking retaliatory action. This term carries a classical, literary connotation of satisfying a profound moral or familial debt through vengeance.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nhà vua thề sẽ tuyết cừu cho cha mình. (The king swore to avenge his father.)
  • Câu chuyện kể về một hiệp sĩ quyết tâm tuyết cừu. (The story is about a knight determined to exact revenge.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily found in historical, literary, or formal contexts, such as classical novels, historical narratives, or discussions of feudal morality. It implies a solemn, often obligatory act of retribution for a grave injustice.

Variants and Related Words

• Báo thù (v): to take revenge. This is the modern, general term for revenge.
• Trả thù (v): to retaliate, to pay back. Similar to "báo thù," but can sometimes imply a more immediate or direct payback.
• Rửa hận (v): to wash away humiliation/resentment. Shares the metaphorical "washing" imagery with "tuyết cừu" but is less specifically about a blood feud.

Synonyms

• Avenge: To inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong) on behalf of oneself or another.
• Exact revenge: To carry out vengeance precisely and determinedly.
• Retaliate: To make an attack in return for a similar attack.

Related Idioms

• Tuyết cừu rửa hận: To avenge and wash away shame. This phrase intensifies the meaning, combining the ideas of revenge and cleansing dishonor.
  • Cả đời hắn chỉ sống để tuyết cừu rửa hận. (His whole life was lived only to avenge and wash away shame.)