ỷ quyền
Definition
Verb: - To abuse one's authority or power; to act in a bullying or oppressive manner because one holds a position of power or influence. It implies using one's official power or status to act unjustly or to force others into submission.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn ta thường ỷ quyền để bắt nạt nhân viên cấp dưới. (He often abuses his authority to bully his subordinates.)
- Không được ỷ quyền mà làm trái quy định. (You must not use your position of power to violate the regulations.)
- Vị quan đó bị cách chức vì tội ỷ quyền hiếp đáp dân lành. (That official was dismissed for the crime of abusing his power to oppress innocent people.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively used in a negative, critical context to describe corrupt or unethical behavior by those in power. It often carries a strong moral condemnation.
Variants and Related Words
- ỷ thế (v): To rely on one's powerful position or backing (from someone else) to act in a similar bullying manner.
- Nó ỷ thế bố nó là giám đốc nên chẳng sợ ai. (He relies on the fact that his father is the director, so he fears no one.)
Synonyms
- Abuse power: To use power improperly or unfairly.
- Bully: To use strength or influence to intimidate others.
- Throw one's weight around: (Idiomatic) To use one's authority in an aggressive, ostentatious way.
Related Idioms
- ỷ quyền ỷ thế: A common paired phrase that intensifies the meaning, emphasizing the act of abusing both one's official authority (quyền) and one's influential position or connections (thế).
- Kẻ ỷ quyền ỷ thế thường không được lòng dân. (Those who throw their weight around are usually unpopular with the people.)