磨砺 (mó lì) — to sharpen (a blade) on a grindstone; to temper (oneself) through hard training or experience

Definition

A literary verb meaning 'to sharpen (a blade) and, by extension, to temper oneself through hardship'. Most learners meet it in the figurative sense: difficulties or training 磨砺 one's will or character.

verb
to sharpen (a blade) on a grindstoneto temper (oneself) through hard training or experience
Easily confused

Examples

  • 磨砺。
    Tā yòng shí tou mó lì dāo.
    He uses a stone to sharpen the knife.
  • 磨砺。
    Kùn nan kě yǐ mó lì rén de yì zhì.
    Difficulties can temper a person's will.
  • 磨砺。
    Jūn duì de xùn liàn mó lì le shì bīng de yì lì.
    Military training tempered the soldiers' perseverance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

磨mógrind
砺lìwhet

磨 means grinding and 砺 means whetting, so together they describe sharpening or tempering.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
靡
靡mí磨mó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

磨 combines 石, showing rock, with 靡 for the sound.

Open 磨 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.