tuyệt tình
Definition
Verb phrase:
- To sever all emotional ties; to cut off all affection: To decisively end a romantic or deeply personal relationship, eliminating all sentimental attachment and connection.
- To act with complete heartlessness; to be utterly devoid of feeling: To behave in a way that shows a total lack of compassion, kindness, or regard for another's feelings, often within a pre-existing relationship.
Adjective phrase:
- Heartless; merciless; utterly without feeling: Describing a person, action, or attitude that is completely cold and devoid of any trace of love, pity, or human sentiment.
Usage Examples
Verb phrase:
- Sau vụ lừa dối, cô ấy quyết định tuyệt tình với anh ta. (After the betrayal, she decided to sever all ties with him.)
- Hành động đó chứng tỏ hắn đã tuyệt tình với gia đình. (That action proved he had cut off all affection for his family.)
Adjective phrase:
- Lời nói của anh ta thật tuyệt tình. (His words were utterly heartless.)
- Đó là một quyết định tuyệt tình. (That was a merciless decision.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies a final, irrevocable act of emotional separation, stronger than a simple breakup. It conveys a sense of deliberate, absolute termination of sentiment.
- It can be used beyond romantic contexts to describe severing deep bonds in friendships or family relationships.
Variants and Related Words
- Tuyệt giao (v): To sever diplomatic relations or cut off all contact (more formal/official, less emotional).
- Vô tình (adj): Heartless, unfeeling (describes a general character trait, not necessarily a deliberate act of severance).
Synonyms
- To cut off: To discontinue a relationship.
- Heartless: Lacking sympathy or pity.
- Merciless: Showing no mercy.
- To sever ties: To break off a connection.
Related Idioms
- Ăn ở tuyệt tình: To treat someone in a completely heartless manner, especially after having had a close relationship.
- Hắn ăn ở tuyệt tình với bạn bè cũ. (He treated his old friends with utter heartlessness.)