口实 (kǒu shí) — pretext; excuse; cause for gossip
Definition
口实 (kǒu shí) means a pretext or excuse — something one can be 'held to' by others, often giving them grounds to gossip or attack. Closely tied to the act of giving someone 'a handle' against you, unlike a plain excuse.
noun
pretextexcusecause for gossip
Examples
- 口实。Tā zhè yàng zuò zhī huì gěi bié rén liú xià kǒu shí.Acting this way will only give others a pretext.
- 口实。Zhèng dí lì yòng zhè jiàn shì zuò wéi gōng jī tā de kǒu shí.Political opponents used this incident as a pretext to attack him.
- 口实。Tā zhǎo le yí gè kǒu shí tuī diào le nà xiàng rèn wu.He found an excuse to turn down that task.
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