Definition

Verb: - To speak to someone in a harsh, scornful, and insulting manner, often with the intent to belittle or mock them. This involves using sharp, offensive words, sometimes accompanied by pointing a finger at the person as a gesture of contempt.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đừng có xỉa xói người khác như thế. (Don't speak to others so scornfully like that.)
  • Bà ấy thường xỉa xói hàng xóm về chuyện con cái. (She often hurls scornful remarks at her neighbors about their children.)
  • Anh ta bị xỉa xói ngay giữa cuộc họp. (He was insulted and belittled right in the middle of the meeting.)

Advanced Usage

• The term strongly implies a one-sided verbal attack where the speaker holds a position of perceived superiority or malice. It is more aggressive than simple criticism and carries a tone of deliberate humiliation.

Variants and Related Words

• Xỉa (verb): To pick (e.g., teeth); colloquially, can mean to make a sharp, pointed remark.
• Chỉ trích (verb): To criticize. (This is a more general and neutral term compared to the harshness of "xỉa xói".)
• Mắng nhiếc (verb): To scold, to revile. (Similar in intensity but can be less focused on mockery.)

Synonyms

• To taunt
• To sneer at
• To deride
• To scorn verbally
• To hurl insults at

Related Idioms

• Xỉa xói đay nghiến: To incessantly nag and scorn someone with harsh words.
  • Cô ấy suốt ngày xỉa xói đay nghiến chồng. (She spends all day nagging and scornfully berating her husband.)