The word **磨难** is formed through the compounding of two semantically related characters: **磨** (mó), which originally means "to grind" or "to polish," and **难** (nàn), which means "disaster," "adversity," or "hardship." In this compound, **磨** is used metaphorically to imply a process of wearing down or enduring persistent difficulty, much like an object is gradually worn by friction. When combined with **难**, the term synthesizes into the concept of "tribulation" or "ordeal," specifically referring to prolonged and severe suffering that tests one's endurance and character. This formation is typical of Chinese lexical development, where two characters with associated meanings merge to create a nuanced, abstract noun that conveys a more specific and intensified sense of hardship than either character could alone.