verb HSK 5
to abuse · to maltreat · to mistreat
Meaning
虐待 means to treat someone or something cruelly, harshly, or with deliberate harm. It encompasses physical, emotional, or psychological abuse and is a serious term used in legal, social, and everyday contexts to describe harmful mistreatment of people, animals, or even objects.
Usage
This is a formal and serious word commonly used in legal contexts, news reports, and discussions about human rights or animal welfare. It carries strong negative connotations and is not used casually. Often appears in phrases like 虐待儿童 (child abuse) or 虐待动物 (animal abuse).
Examples
- 01虐待儿童是违法行为。.Child abuse is illegal behavior.
- 02他因为虐待动物被警方逮捕了。.He was arrested by the police for animal abuse.
Characters
Common collocations
- 虐待儿童child abuse
- 虐待动物animal abuse
- 家庭虐待domestic abuse
- 受到虐待to suffer abuse
Antonyms
Origin
虐 originally depicted a tiger (虍) above a hand holding a stick, symbolizing cruelty. Combined with 待 (to treat), the compound literally means 'to treat cruelly.'