King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Chinese symbol for “torment”

折磨
zhé mó
to torment; to torture

The closest CC-CEDICT match for torment is 折磨 (zhé mó), defined as: to torment; to torture.

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Characters and stroke order

折 zhé
to break, to snap; to fold, to bend; to bow; humble
radical 64 ⼿ · 7 strokes
磨 mó
millstone; to grind, to polish, to rub, to wear out
radical 112 ⽯ · 16 strokes

Other Chinese words for “torment”

WordPinyinMeaning
磨难 (磨難)mó nàna torment; a trial
施虐shī nüèto torment; to abuse (an animal, child etc)
煎熬jiān áoto suffer; to torture
揉磨róu moto torment; to torture
揉搓róu cuoto rub; to torment

Related words

Other words that share a character with 折磨.

WordPinyinMeaning
挫折cuò zhésetback; reverse
折腾 (折騰)zhē tengto toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly); to repeat sth over and over again
曲折qū zhéwinding; (fig.) complicated
折扣zhé kòudiscount
转折 (轉折)zhuǎn zhéshift in the trend of events; turnaround
琢磨zhuó móto carve and polish (jade); to polish and refine a literary work
磨损 (磨損)mó sǔnto suffer wear and tear; to deteriorate through use; to wear out
磨难 (磨難)mó nàna torment; a trial

See also: Japanese symbol for “torment”.

Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Best Escrima Sticks for Students Choosing Your First Pair
  2. Essential Accessories for Your First Pair of Escrima Sticks
  3. Best Escrima Sticks for Your First Seminar
  4. Best Canes for Cane-Fu and Hapkido Training
  5. Which Rattan Sticks Have the Most Nodes for Durability
  6. Choosing Filipino Martial Arts Sticks for Double Work
  7. Choosing a Cane for Self-Defense Class Training
  8. Are Hollow Plastic Sticks Too Light for Proper Technique
  9. Are Bahi or Kamagong Sticks Too Heavy for Beginners
  10. Choosing a Wooden Practice Dagger for Partner Drills