Definition

1. Verb:
   • To flatter / to praise excessively: The primary meaning of "tâng bốc" is to praise someone in an exaggerated, insincere, or excessive manner, often to gain favor, please them, or manipulate their opinion.
   • To extol / to laud to the skies: This conveys the idea of lifting someone's praise to an extreme, unrealistic height, implying the praise is overblown and not entirely genuine.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta không ngừng tâng bốc sếp để được thăng chức. (He constantly flatters the boss to get a promotion.)
  • Bài báo đó tâng bốc ngôi sao điện ảnh lên tận mây xanh. (That article extols the movie star to the skies.)
  • Đừng tâng bốc tôi quá như vậy; tôi biết khả năng của mình mà. (Don't flatter me so much; I know my own capabilities.)

Advanced Usage

• "nịnh hót và tâng bốc": to flatter and fawn (upon). This phrase combines "tâng bốc" with "nịnh hót" (to flatter/sweet-talk), emphasizing insincere, servile praise.
  • Hắn ta giỏi nghệ thuật nịnh hót và tâng bốc cấp trên. (He is skilled in the art of flattering and fawning upon his superiors.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tâng lên (v): to lift up (in praise), a simpler form implying excessive praise.
  • Cô ấy bị tâng lên vì thành công ban đầu. (She was lifted up [excessively praised] for her initial success.)

Synonyms

• Flatter: to praise excessively and often insincerely.
• Adulate: to flatter or admire excessively or slavishly.
• Extol: to praise highly, though this can be genuine; with "tâng bốc," it implies an excessive degree.
• Lavish praise on: to give a great amount of praise, often excessively.

Related Idioms

• Tâng bốc lên tận mây xanh: to praise to the high heavens / to extol to the skies. This idiom perfectly captures the exaggerated nature of "tâng bốc."
  • Sau chiến thắng, các phương tiện truyền thông tâng bốc anh ấy lên tận mây xanh. (After the victory, the media praised him to the high heavens.)

verb

1. to appraise, to extol to the skies