tiêu ma
[tiəw˧˧ maː˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
(verb) to go down the drain, to be reduced to nothing
Verb
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Nhưng vì Khổng-giáo có phần cao-minh hơn và lại thích-hợp với tính-tình người Tàu, cho nên mới chiếm được cái địa-vị độc-tôn, mà Mặc-giáo thì phải tiêu-ma đi mất.But Confucianism is at times more conscious and also better suited to the Chinese temperament, which is why it gained supremacy where Mohism was reduced to nothing.
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “tiêu ma” mean?
(verb) to go down the drain, to be reduced to nothing
Is “tiêu ma” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“go down the drain” (English) — near equivalent.