嚰 (mó) - Japanese variant of the character 磨, meaning to & to wear down

嚰Tone 2

mó ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

妙慕

嚰 · mó

Japanese variant of the character 磨, meaning to polish, grind, rub, or sharpen;

to wear down;

to pester or bother persistently.

Japanese variant of the character 磨, meaning toto wear downto pester or bother persistently.

Usage highlights

To polish/grindMutual grindingTo pester persistentlyGrinding soundWorn downTo rub together

Synonyms

  • 磨— to polish, grind (standard form)
  • 研— to sharpen, polish
  • 擦— to rub, scrub

Antonyms

  • 粗— coarse, rough (opposite of polished)
  • 滑— smooth (result of polishing)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He polished the stone until it was smooth (石を嚰く).
  • The gears grind against each other (歯車が嚰り合う).
  • She kept pestering him for an answer (彼に答えを求めて嚰りついた).

Collocations

  • To polish/grind(嚰く)
  • Mutual grinding(嚰り合う)
  • To pester persistently(嚰りつく)
  • Grinding sound(嚰り音)
  • Worn down(嚰り減る)
  • To rub together(嚰り合わせる)

Idioms

  • To wear down through friction(切磋嚰礪)
  • To pester and bother(嚰り付く)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in Japanese as a variant form of 磨 (migaru), with the same core meanings of polishing and grinding.
  • In Chinese contexts, this character is extremely rare and typically appears only in specialized historical or dialect texts.
  • The character carries connotations of persistence, whether in physical action (polishing) or social behavior (pestering).

FAQ