backfire
กลับตี - Thai translation
Main Translations
- English: Backfire
- Thai: กลับตี (klàp dtî)
- Phonetic: Klàp dtî (pronounced with a rising tone on "klàp" and a falling tone on "dtî")
- Detailed Explanation: The term "backfire" primarily functions as a verb in English, describing a situation where an action or plan produces the opposite of the intended result, often leading to negative consequences. Usage scenarios include everyday conversations, business strategies, or personal decisions. Emotionally, it carries connotations of irony, frustration, or surprise, as it highlights human error or unforeseen repercussions. For example, in SEO-optimized content, "backfire meaning" might refer to a marketing tactic that "backfires" by alienating customers instead of attracting them. Semantically, it emphasizes causality and unintended outcomes, making it a nuanced word for discussing failures.
- Thai: ระเบิดย้อน (rá-bèt yon)
- Phonetic: Rá-bèt yon (pronounced with a mid tone on "rá" and a rising tone on "yon")
- Detailed Explanation: This translation is more literal, often used for mechanical or explosive contexts, such as an engine malfunction. In broader usage, it can metaphorically align with "backfire" to describe plans that "explode" in the wrong direction. Emotionally, it evokes shock or disappointment, similar to the English version. Semantic nuances include a focus on reversal or backlash, common in Thai narratives about politics or social issues. For instance, in Thai culture, this word might appear in discussions of "backfire effects" in environmental policies, where an initiative harms instead of helps.
Overview of Usage Scenarios
"Backfire" is a versatile word primarily used as a verb in English and Thai to describe situations where intentions lead to adverse outcomes. Its main usage scenarios include business (e.g., failed strategies), personal life (e.g., social mishaps), and broader contexts like politics or technology. In Thai, it's often employed in informal storytelling or media to convey irony, making it popular in SEO contexts like "backfire examples in daily life." Overall, it highlights the unpredictability of actions, with emotional undertones of regret or humor.
Example Sentences
Example Sentences in Different Scenarios
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Business Scenario
- English: The new advertising campaign backfired, resulting in a loss of loyal customers.
- Thai: แคมเปญโฆษณาใหม่กลับตี ทำให้สูญเสียลูกค้าประจำไป
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The new advertising campaign" (subject, noun phrase) + "backfired" (verb, past tense, intransitive) + "resulting in a loss of loyal customers" (gerund phrase, indicating consequence). The verb "backfired" is key, showing cause and effect.
- Structural Analysis: This is a simple declarative sentence with a subject-verb-object structure. It uses "backfired" to illustrate irony in business decisions, common in SEO-optimized articles on marketing failures.
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Leisure Scenario
- English: His attempt to surprise his friends with a prank backfired spectacularly.
- Thai: การพยายามเซอร์ไพรส์เพื่อนด้วยการแกล้งกลับตีอย่างน่าประทับใจ
- Grammatical Breakdown: "His attempt" (subject, possessive noun phrase) + "to surprise his friends with a prank" (infinitive phrase, modifying attempt) + "backfired spectacularly" (verb phrase, adverb intensifying the action). "Backfired" acts as the main verb.
- Structural Analysis: A compound sentence structure builds tension, emphasizing emotional surprise. In leisure contexts, this word often appears in casual narratives, aligning with "backfire usage in everyday stories."
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Formal Occasion
- English: The government's policy backfired, exacerbating economic inequality.
- Thai: นโยบายของรัฐบาลกลับตี ทำให้ความเหลื่อมล้ำทางเศรษฐกิจรุนแรงขึ้น
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The government's policy" (subject) + "backfired" (verb, past tense) + "exacerbating economic inequality" (present participle phrase, showing result). "Backfired" links cause to effect.
- Structural Analysis: This formal sentence uses a subject-verb-complement structure to convey serious implications, ideal for discussions on "backfire meaning in politics."
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Informal Occasion
- English: My diet plan backfired when I ended up craving junk food even more.
- Thai: แผนลดน้ำหนักของฉันกลับตี ทำให้อยากกินอาหารขยะมากขึ้น
- Grammatical Breakdown: "My diet plan" (subject) + "backfired" (verb) + "when I ended up craving junk food even more" (subordinate clause, indicating time and result). "Backfired" is the core action verb.
- Structural Analysis: An informal, conversational structure with a dependent clause for relatability, often seen in personal blogs about "backfire examples in health."
Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types
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Declarative Sentence
- English: The experiment backfired due to unforeseen variables.
- Thai: การทดลองกลับตีเพราะตัวแปรที่คาดไม่ถึง
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The experiment" (subject) + "backfired" (verb) + "due to unforeseen variables" (prepositional phrase). Simple subject-verb structure.
- Structural Analysis: States a fact straightforwardly, suitable for educational content on "backfire usage in science."
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Interrogative Sentence
- English: Did the negotiation backfire because of poor preparation?
- Thai: การเจรจากลับตีเพราะการเตรียมตัวไม่ดีหรือ?
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Did" (auxiliary verb for question) + "the negotiation backfire" (main clause) + "because of poor preparation" (reason clause). "Backfire" is the predicate verb.
- Structural Analysis: Inverts subject-verb order for inquiry, encouraging reflection in discussions like "backfire meaning in business talks."
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Imperative Sentence
- English: Don't let your plans backfire; always consider the risks.
- Thai: อย่าปล่อยให้แผนของคุณกลับตี ควรพิจารณาความเสี่ยงเสมอ
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Don't let" (imperative form) + "your plans backfire" (object phrase) + "always consider the risks" (command clause). "Backfire" functions as a verb in the object.
- Structural Analysis: Directs action with a compound structure, useful in motivational content about "backfire prevention."
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Exclamatory Sentence
- English: How his scheme backfired so badly!
- Thai: ช่างน่าเหลือเชื่อที่แผนของเขากลับติอย่างรุนแรง!
- Grammatical Breakdown: "How" (exclamation starter) + "his scheme backfired so badly" (main clause). "Backfired" is the key verb.
- Structural Analysis: Emphasizes emotion through exclamation, enhancing engagement in stories about "backfire examples in drama."
Example Sentences of Different Difficulties
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Simple Sentence
- English: The plan backfired.
- Thai: แผนกลับตี
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The plan" (subject) + "backfired" (verb). Basic structure.
- Structural Analysis: Straightforward for beginners, ideal for introductory SEO lessons on "backfire meaning."
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Intermediate Sentence
- English: Although it was well-intentioned, the advice backfired on him.
- Thai: แม้จะมีเจตนาดี แต่คำแนะนำกลับตีใส่เขา
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Although it was well-intentioned" (subordinate clause) + "the advice backfired on him" (main clause). "Backfired" is the verb.
- Structural Analysis: Uses contrast for depth, suitable for intermediate users exploring "backfire usage in relationships."
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Complex Sentence
- English: Because the team ignored potential risks, their innovative strategy backfired, leading to financial setbacks.
- Thai: เนื่องจากทีมงานเพิกเฉยต่อความเสี่ยงที่อาจเกิดขึ้น แผนกลยุทธ์ที่สร้างสรรค์กลับตี ส่งผลให้เกิดปัญหาทางการเงิน
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Because the team ignored potential risks" (dependent clause) + "their innovative strategy backfired" (main clause) + "leading to financial setbacks" (participial phrase). "Backfired" connects ideas.
- Structural Analysis: Multi-clause structure for advanced contexts, like "backfire examples in corporate strategy."
Related Phrases and Expressions
- Synonyms/Near Synonyms:
- Blow up in one's face – Used to describe a situation that unexpectedly turns disastrous, often with similar ironic connotations (e.g., in "backfire meaning" discussions).
- Rebound negatively – Refers to an action that comes back with adverse effects, emphasizing reversal like "backfire."
- Antonyms:
- Succeed flawlessly – Indicates a plan that works perfectly, contrasting the failure implied in "backfire."
- Work out as intended – Describes positive outcomes without setbacks, opposite to "backfire usage."
- Common Collocations:
- Plan backfires – Often used in narratives about failed intentions, as in business or personal stories (e.g., "His plan backfires every time").
- Strategy backfires – Common in professional contexts, highlighting errors in execution (e.g., in SEO content on "backfire examples in marketing").
Cultural Background and Usage Habits
- Cultural Background:
- Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, particularly in American English, "backfire" is frequently used in literature and media to illustrate irony, as seen in stories like those in Mark Twain's works, where plans often go awry. This reflects a cultural emphasis on individualism and the unpredictability of life, making it a staple in "backfire meaning" analyses in films or novels.
- Usage Habits:
- Habit 1: "Backfire" is more common in informal and everyday conversations among younger demographics and in online content, with high frequency in social media and blogs. In Thailand, it's adapted in casual Thai speech, applicable to general audiences but less in formal settings, due to its popularity in storytelling and SEO-optimized educational materials.
Grammar Explanation
- Grammatical Function: "Backfire" primarily functions as an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object (e.g., "The plan backfired"). It can also act as a noun in rare cases, referring to a literal explosion, but this is less common in "backfire usage."
- Tense and Voice: As a verb, it changes with tenses: present ("backfires"), past ("backfired"), future ("will backfire"). It is typically active voice (e.g., "The strategy backfired"), but passive constructions are possible in complex sentences (e.g., "The effects were backfired upon"). This flexibility aids in SEO contexts like "backfire examples across tenses."
References
- Etymology and History: The word "backfire" originated in the early 19th century from the literal sense of a gun or engine firing backward, evolving metaphorically by the mid-20th century to mean unintended consequences. This shift is evident in historical texts, tying into modern "backfire meaning" in psychology and business literature.
- Literary References: In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," the phrase "plans backfired" is implied in character failures, such as Gatsby's pursuits (Chapter 7). Another example is in George Orwell's "Animal Farm," where revolutionary ideas backfire, illustrating power dynamics (e.g., "The animals' rebellion backfired into tyranny").