Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Feeling a deep, suppressed anger or resentment: Describes a state of being upset, aggrieved, or indignant about something, often because of perceived unfairness or injustice, but feeling unable to express it fully or resolve the situation. The emotion is held inside, causing inner turmoil.
   • Feeling bitter and wronged: Refers to a lingering feeling of bitterness and hurt due to an unresolved grievance or slight.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy rất ấm ức khi bị khiển trách oan. (He felt very aggrieved and resentful when he was wrongly reprimanded.)
  • Cô ấy ôm nỗi ấm ức ấy trong lòng suốt nhiều năm. (She carried that pent-up bitterness in her heart for many years.)
  • Gương mặt anh lộ rõ vẻ ấm ức vì không được lắng nghe. (His face clearly showed a look of frustrated resentment for not being heard.)

Advanced Usage

• "ấm ức trong lòng": to have a grievance/resentment bottled up inside.

  • Chị ấy ấm ức trong lòng nhưng vẫn mỉm cười. (She had a grievance bottled up inside, but still smiled.)

• "cảm giác ấm ức": a feeling of resentment/bitterness.

  • Cảm giác ấm ức khi bị đối xử bất công là rất khó chịu. (The feeling of resentment when treated unfairly is very unpleasant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Uất ức (adj): A stronger, more intense synonym, often implying a feeling of indignation and frustration that is closer to bursting out.

  • Nỗi uất ức nghẹn ứ trong cổ họng. (The indignation choked in his throat.)

• Bức xúc (adj): Feeling stressed, upset, or agitated about a social or personal issue; can be a broader term that sometimes overlaps with "ấm ức" but is often more about pressing frustration than long-held personal resentment.

  • Dư luận rất bức xúc về vụ việc. (Public opinion is very agitated/upset about the incident.)

Synonyms

• Resentful: Feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly.
• Aggrieved: Feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated.
• Bitter: Feeling anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Nuốt ấm ức" / "Nuốt hận": To swallow one's resentment/bitterness; to endure an injustice without complaint or the ability to fight back.

  • Anh ta đành nuốt ấm ức vì không có bằng chứng. (He had to swallow his resentment because he had no evidence.)

• "Ấm ức không nói nên lời": To be so aggrieved/resentful that one is left speechless.

  • Nghe xong bản án, bà cụ ấm ức không nói nên lời. (After hearing the verdict, the old woman was so aggrieved she was speechless.)

adj

1. Full of pent-up anger, full of pent-up resentment