凌迟

凌遲

língchí

noun #40,010

Meanings

1 death by a thousand cuts
2 lingering death (a form of execution)

Characters

to humiliate; over

slow; lingering

Examples

HSK 7-9

凌迟是中国古代最残酷的刑罚之一。

Língchí shì Zhōngguó gǔdài zuì cánkù de xíngfá zhīyī.

Lingchi was one of the cruelest forms of execution in ancient China.

HSK 7-9

明朝大太监刘瑾被处以凌迟。

Míngcháo dà tàijiàn Liú Jǐn bèi chǔyǐ língchí.

The powerful Ming-dynasty eunuch Liu Jin was sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

Tips

history

Codified as a legal punishment under the Liao (辽) dynasty and used through the Qing for treason and parricide. Officially abolished in 1905 by 沈家本 during late-Qing legal reform. The most-cited case is the 1905 execution of 王维勤 (Wang Weiqin), photographed by French soldiers.

usage

Often used metaphorically in modern Chinese: 凌迟般的折磨 'torture like lingchi' for prolonged emotional suffering.

Stroke Order

凌 líng

迟 chí