Definition

1. Verb:
   • To maltreat; to ill-treat; to torment: "hành hạ" means to cause someone physical or mental suffering, often deliberately and cruelly. It implies inflicting pain, hardship, or distress.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Kẻ bạo hành đã hành hạ nạn nhân một cách dã man. (The abuser maltreated the victim brutally.)
  • Đừng hành hạ bản thân bằng những suy nghĩ tiêu cực. (Don't torment yourself with negative thoughts.)
  • Họ bị hành hạ bởi cái đói và cái rét. (They were ill-treated by hunger and cold.)

Advanced Usage

• "hành hạ tinh thần": to torment mentally; to inflict psychological torture.

  • Những lời lẽ đó chỉ nhằm hành hạ tinh thần cô ấy. (Those words were only meant to torment her mentally.)

• "bị hành hạ": to be maltreated; to be subjected to ill-treatment.

  • Những con vật trong chuồng trông như bị hành hạ. (The animals in the cage looked like they were being maltreated.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hành (verb): This is a root component meaning to execute, to carry out, or to inflict. In "hành hạ," it combines with "hạ" (to lower, to degrade) to form the meaning of inflicting suffering.
• Ngược đãi (verb): to mistreat; to abuse. This is a close synonym but can sometimes imply a broader range of abuse, including neglect.
• Tra tấn (verb): to torture. This is a stronger, more specific term often related to physical torture for interrogation or punishment.

Synonyms

• Bạc đãi: to treat badly; to be unkind to.
• Hà hiếp: to bully; to oppress (often implies using power unfairly).
• Làm khổ: to make (someone) suffer.

Related Phrases

• Hành hạ xác thịt: to torment the flesh; to inflict physical suffering.
  • Những hình phạt thời trung cổ thường nhằm hành hạ xác thịt tù nhân. (Medieval punishments often aimed to torment prisoners' flesh.)

Related Idioms

• Hành hạ thân xác: (similar to "hành hạ xác thịt") to torture the body; to subject the body to hardship.
  • Anh ấy hành hạ thân xác mình bằng những bài tập khắc nghiệt. (He tortures his body with harsh exercises.)

verb

1. to maltreat; to ill-treat; to batter about