tử lộ
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A path or road leading to death; a fatal route. This word literally means "death road" and describes a path, course of action, or situation that is extremely dangerous and will almost certainly lead to death, destruction, or ruin. It is an archaic or literary term.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Con đường núi cheo leo ấy là một tử lộ. (That treacherous mountain road is a deadly route.)
- Hành động liều lĩnh đó chẳng khác nào tự chọn tử lộ. (That reckless action is no different from choosing a path to death.)
- Trong chiến tranh, nhiều người lính đã phải bước vào tử lộ. (During the war, many soldiers had to step onto the road of death.)
Advanced Usage
- "tử lộ" as a metaphor: The term is often used metaphorically to describe a hopeless situation, a failing strategy, or a business venture doomed to collapse.
- Công ty tiếp tục đầu tư vào dự án thua lỗ, đó là một tử lộ. (The company continues to invest in the loss-making project; it is a road to ruin.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tuyệt lộ (n): A road to ruin; a dead end with no way out. This is a close synonym, emphasizing a hopeless situation.
- Sinh lộ (n): The road/path to life; a way out. This is the conceptual opposite of "tử lộ".
Synonyms
- Đường chết: (lit. death road) A more modern and direct synonym.
- Lối thoát hiểm: (lit. emergency exit) While this means "escape route," its absence implies a "tử lộ."
- Ngõ cụt: Dead end (often used figuratively for a situation with no progress).
Related Idioms
- Bước vào tử lộ / Đi vào tử lộ: To enter/walk onto the road of death; to embark on a course leading to certain disaster.
- Từ chối lời đề nghị hòa giải, hắn đã tự mình bước vào tử lộ. (By rejecting the reconciliation offer, he walked onto the road of death himself.)