肆虐

sìnüè

verb #16,532

Meanings

HSK 5

病毒在全球肆虐了好几个月。

Bìngdú zài quánqiú sìnüè le hǎojǐ ge yuè.

The virus wreaked havoc around the world for several months.

HSK 6

台风在沿海地区肆虐。

Táifēng zài yánhǎi dìqū sìnüè.

The typhoon ravaged the coastal areas.

肆虐 is a formal/literary word commonly seen in news reports about natural disasters, epidemics, and war.

memory

肆 means 'unbridled' and 虐 means 'cruel' - unbridled cruelty ravaging everything in its path.

肆 sì

虐 nüè