tím gan

Người đàn ông tím gan khi nghe tin xấu.

Definition

1. Adjective (Idiomatic):
   • To be livid, to be purple with rage, to be seething with anger: Describes a state of extreme, suppressed anger that is so intense it is felt physically, as if causing one's liver (a traditional seat of emotion) to turn purple. It implies anger that is boiling inside but not openly expressed.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Nghe tin đó, ông ấy tím gan nhưng vẫn im lặng. (Hearing that news, he was livid but remained silent.)
  • Cô ấy tím gan khi bị đối xử bất công. (She was seething with anger when treated unfairly.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost exclusively used in a figurative, emotional sense. It is a vivid metaphor comparing the physical discoloration of an organ to the intensity of hidden fury.

Variants and Related Words

• Tím ruột (adj): An equivalent variant meaning the same (to have purple intestines), also meaning to be filled with suppressed rage.
  • Sự phản bội khiến anh tím ruột. (The betrayal made him seethe with anger.)

Synonyms

• To be furious: To be extremely angry.
• To be incensed: To be very angry.
• To be seething: To be filled with intense but often quiet anger.
• To be apoplectic: To be so angry one is beside oneself (more extreme).

Related Idioms

• Giận sôi gan: (to have one's liver boiling with anger) A similar idiom denoting extreme, simmering anger.
  • Thái độ của hắn khiến tôi giận sôi gan. (His attitude made my blood boil.)