ถอย
move back
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 move back、back up (a vehicle)、move away
- 2 retreat、withdraw、back down
- 3 buy (something new) [slang]、get (a new item) [slang]
Its central image is moving backward. It also extends to backing down, declining in condition or level, and, in slang, buying something new.
move back、back up (a vehicle)、move away
Describes moving backward or making a person, vehicle, or object move backward or away.
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ถอยรถหน่อย thɔ̌y rót nɔ̀ɔy Back the car up a little. ถอยรถหน่อย details
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เขาถอยไปสองก้าว khǎw thɔ̌y pay sɔ̌ɔŋ kâaw He stepped back two steps. เขาถอยไปสองก้าว details
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ถอยออกมาจากประตู thɔ̌y ɔ̀ɔk maa càak pratuu Step back from the door. ถอยออกมาจากประตู details
retreat、withdraw、back down
Describes retreating from a conflict, position, or challenge, including yielding or backing down.
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ฉันจะไม่ถอย chǎn cà mây thɔ̌y I won't back down. ฉันจะไม่ถอย details
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เขาไม่ยอมถอย khǎw mây yɔɔm thɔ̌y He refuses to yield. เขาไม่ยอมถอย details
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เราต้องถอยก่อน raw tɔ̂ŋ thɔ̌y kɔ̀ɔn We need to retreat for now. เราต้องถอยก่อน details
buy (something new) [slang]、get (a new item) [slang]
A playful, informal way to say that someone buys or gets a new vehicle, device, or other desirable item.
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เขาเพิ่งถอยรถใหม่ khǎw phə̂əŋ thɔ̌y rót mày He just got a new car. เขาเพิ่งถอยรถใหม่ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image is pulling backward from a current position or direction. It can be intransitive, describing a person or thing moving back, or transitive, as in ถอยรถ, “to back up a car.” This physical image extends naturally to retreating from a conflict and to a skill, economy, or other condition losing ground. Decline is often expressed with ถอยลง or ถอยหลัง. In modern informal speech, ถอย can also playfully mean buying something new.
Usage
It is common when backing up a vehicle, stepping back in a crowd, or telling someone to move away from danger. It also appears in discussions of conflict, negotiation, competition, and determination, as well as economic or personal decline. Among friends and on social media, it may refer playfully to buying a new car, phone, or similar item.
Caution
ถอย means to move backward; it is different from หันหลัง, “turn one's back,” and กลับ, “return.” Its sense of “buy” is slang, so use ซื้อ in formal writing and for ordinary, neutral references to purchasing.
Differences from similar words
1 move back synonyms
2 retreat synonyms
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ถอนตัว means to formally pull out of an activity, contest, or plan. ถอย may describe a temporary or strategic retreat rather than complete withdrawal.
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ยอม broadly means to consent, give in, or accept something. ถอย has a stronger image of pulling back from a position or course of action and does not necessarily imply agreement.
3 buy (something new) [slang] synonyms
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ซื้อ is the standard, context-neutral verb for buying something. ถอย is playful slang used when talking about getting a desirable new item, especially a vehicle.