Definition

1. Verb:
   • To waste / to squander: To use or expend something carelessly, extravagantly, or without any useful result. It implies a lack of thrift and often carries a negative judgment.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta vung phí toàn bộ số tiền thừa kế. (He squandered the entire inheritance.)
  • Đừng vung phí thời gian vào những trò chơi vô bổ. (Don't waste your time on useless games.)
  • Cô ấy vung phí tiền bạc vào những món đồ không cần thiết. (She wastes money on unnecessary items.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb often describes the reckless expenditure of abstract resources like time, energy, or talent, not just money.
  • Vung phí cơ hội như vậy thật đáng tiếc. (Wasting an opportunity like that is such a pity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Phung phí (v): A more common and direct synonym meaning "to waste" or "to squander." The meanings of "vung phí" and "phung phí" are virtually identical.
  • Phung phí tài nguyên thiên nhiên là có tội. (Squandering natural resources is a sin.)

Synonyms

• Squander: To spend wastefully or extravagantly.
• Waste: To use or expend carelessly or to no purpose.
• Dissipate: To scatter or disperse wastefully (often used for resources or fortune).

Related Idioms

• Vung phí hoang phí: This phrase combines "vung phí" with "hoang phí" (extravagant) for emphasis, meaning "to waste recklessly and extravagantly."
  • Lối sống vung phí hoang phí sẽ dẫn đến khánh kiệt. (A lifestyle of reckless waste will lead to bankruptcy.)