vơ vét
Definition
- Verb:
- To sweep up / to grab everything: To gather or take all of something, especially in a greedy, rapid, or indiscriminate manner, leaving little or nothing behind.
- To loot / to plunder: To seize goods or property completely, often by force or through exploitation, as in a raid or during a crisis.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Bọn tham nhũng vơ vét tài sản của nhà nước. (The corrupt officials plundered state assets.)
- Cô ấy vơ vét hết bánh kẹo trên bàn. (She swept up all the candies on the table.)
- Trong cơn hoảng loạn, mọi người tranh nhau vơ vét hàng hóa. (During the panic, people scrambled to grab all the goods.)
Advanced Usage
- The verb often implies a negative moral judgment, suggesting selfishness, greed, or unfair advantage. It is frequently used in contexts of corruption, exploitation, or chaotic acquisition.
Variants and Related Words
- Vơ (v): to gather, to scoop up. A simpler, less intensive form.
- Cậu bé vơ lấy đồ chơi. (The boy scooped up the toys.)
Synonyms
- Plunder: To steal goods using force, especially in wartime.
- Loot: To steal goods, typically during a riot or disaster.
- Grab: To take something quickly and selfishly.
- Ransack: To search a place thoroughly, causing disorder, often to steal things.
Related Idioms
- Vơ vét của công: to embezzle or misappropriate public property.
- Hắn bị bắt vì tội vơ vét của công. (He was arrested for embezzling public property.)