vùi dập
Definition
- Verb:
- To crush; to trample down; to suppress: The primary meaning of "vùi dập" is to press down with force, often causing destruction or complete suppression. It implies a powerful, overwhelming action that buries or extinguishes something.
- To extinguish; to stifle; to snuff out: Used metaphorically to describe the act of suppressing or destroying something non-physical, such as talent, hope, or spirit, preventing it from developing or being seen.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Chế độ cũ đã vùi dập nhiều tài năng trẻ. (The old regime crushed many young talents.)
- Đừng để khó khăn vùi dập ước mơ của bạn. (Don't let difficulties trample your dreams.)
- Cơn bão vùi dập cả cánh đồng lúa. (The storm crushed the entire rice field.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in formal, literary, or journalistic contexts to describe severe oppression, injustice, or the destructive force of nature or society.
- It carries a strong negative connotation, emphasizing injustice, waste, or brutal force.
Variants and Related Words
Vùi (v): to bury, to cover. Often used separately or in other combinations.
- Cát vùi lấp con đường. (The sand buried the road.)
Dập (v): to extinguish (like a flame), to press down, to stamp out. Can be used separately.
- Dập tắt ngọn lửa. (To extinguish a flame.)
Synonyms
- Crush: to press or squeeze with force.
- Suppress: to put an end to by force.
- Stifle: to suffocate or suppress.
- Trample: to tread on and crush.
Related Idioms
- Vùi dập nhân tài: to stifle/crush talent. This is a common collocation.
- Một xã hội không biết trọng dụng người tài là một xã hội vùi dập nhân tài. (A society that does not know how to utilize talented people is a society that crushes talent.)