Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Swaggeringly heroic; braggartly brave: Describes a person, typically male, who acts in an excessively or falsely heroic manner, often with boastful swagger and bravado. The term carries a strong connotation of mockery, sarcasm, or contempt, implying the behavior is for show rather than stemming from genuine courage or virtue.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Hắn ta lúc nào cũng tỏ ra yêng hùng trước mặt mọi người. (He always acts so swaggeringly heroic in front of everyone.)
  • Đừng có làm bộ yêng hùng nữa, chúng tôi biết rõ con người thật của anh mà. (Stop putting on that braggartly brave act; we know your true character.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "yêng hùng" is a colloquial, phonetic alteration of the standard Vietnamese word "anh hùng" (hero). This alteration deliberately makes the word sound crude or vulgar, which is central to its mocking and derogatory tone.
• It is almost exclusively used to criticize or ridicule someone's pretentious behavior, not to describe genuine heroism.

Variants and Related Words

• Anh hùng (n, adj): Hero; heroic. The standard, non-mocking term from which "yêng hùng" is derived.
• Làm bộ làm tịch (idiom): To put on airs; to affect a manner.
  • Hắn yêng hùng và thích làm bộ làm tịch. (He is braggartly brave and likes to put on airs.)

Synonyms

• Braggart
• Swaggering
• Bravado-filled
• Pretentiously heroic

Related Idioms

• Lên mặt anh hùng / Làm ra vẻ anh hùng: To put on a heroic front; to pose as a hero. This phrase is close in meaning but less vulgar than "yêng hùng."
  • Nó chẳng dám làm gì, chỉ thích lên mặt anh hùng thôi. (He doesn't dare do anything; he just likes to put on a heroic front.)

adj

1. swaggeringly heroic