Japanese word

苦しめる

Pronunciation

Romajikurushimeru

Meaning

  • verbtorment

Example

その病気は彼を苦しめています。so no byō ki wa kare o kuru shi me te i ma su

That illness is tormenting him.

Illustration for 苦しめる (torment)

More examples

旅人たちは、夜の寒さに苦しめられました。tabi bito ta chi wa yoru no samu sa ni kuru shi me ra re ma shi ta

The travelers were tormented by the cold at night.

Core concept

Describes making another person or living thing remain in physical or emotional suffering.

Common phrases

  • 患者を苦しめるkan ja o kuru shi me ru

    torment a patient

  • 心を苦しめるkokoro o kuru shi me ru

    torment the mind

  • 罪悪感に苦しめられるzai aku kan ni kuru shi me ra re ru

    be tormented by guilt

Similar words

痛めるitameru: To cause physical pain or harm to a person or living thing.
さいなむsainamu: To cause someone to suffer persistently from guilt, fear, or other painful feelings.

Definition in Japanese

人や動物に心身の苦痛を感じさせる。hito ya dō butsu ni shin shin no ku tsū o kan ji sa se ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 苦しめる (kurushimeru) is the transitive counterpart of 苦しむ (kurushimu, "to suffer"), expressing the act of causing that suffering.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 苦しめる (kurushimeru) can take an illness, worry, memory, or other nonhuman cause as its subject, so it does not imply deliberate cruelty.

Other meanings

  • cause painverb
  • troubleverb

Word lists with this word