折磨

zhémó

verb HSK 7-9 #1,781

Meanings

1 to torment
2 to torture
3 to cause suffering

Characters

to break; to snap

to grind; to wear down

Examples

病痛折磨了他好几年。

Bìngtòng zhémó le tā hǎojǐ nián.

Illness tormented him for many years.

别折磨自己了。

Bié zhémó zìjǐ le.

Stop tormenting yourself.

失眠一直折磨着她。

Shīmián yīzhí zhémó zhe tā.

Insomnia has been tormenting her.

Tips

memory

折 (break) + 磨 (grind) — suffering that breaks and grinds you down over time.

Stroke Order

折 zhé

磨 mó