荼毒 (tú dú) — (formal) to cause great suffering; to torment; (literary) to persecute (a group of people)

Definition

A literary/formal verb meaning 'to afflict, torment' a group of people. Used in writing about war, tyranny, or persecution — not everyday speech.

verb
(formal) to cause great sufferingto torment(literary) to persecute (a group of people)

Examples

  • 荼毒。
    Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō bào jūn tú dú bǎi xìng.
    Many tyrants in history tormented the people.
  • 荼毒，。
    Zhàn zhēng tú dú shēng líng, hé píng lái zhī bú yì.
    War afflicts all living beings; peace is hard-won.
  • 荼毒。
    Tǒng zhì zhě bù néng yǐ sī yù tú dú mín zhòng.
    Rulers must not torment the populace for personal desires.

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.

荼túbitter weed
毒dúpoison

荼 and 毒 both stand for bitter or poisonous harm, so together they mean to cause great suffering.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú荼tú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艸 marks this as a grassy plant, while 余 supplies the sound.

Open 荼 →

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
屮屮chèvegetation
Sound part声符shēngfú
毐
毐ǎi毒dú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

Open 毒 →

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