The word 折磨 is formed by combining two characters, each depicting a distinct but complementary action of destruction: 折 (zhé), meaning to break or bend something until it snaps or submits, and 磨 (mó), meaning to grind, wear down, or polish through persistent friction. Their union creates a powerful compound that visually and conceptually blends the sudden violence of breaking with the slow, relentless agony of grinding attrition, perfectly capturing the essence of inflicting or experiencing prolonged physical or mental suffering.