遭殃

zāo yāng

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

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Definitions

1. to suffer a calamity

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

to live comfortably

享福 means to enjoy a happy and comfortable life, the opposite of suffering a calamity.

Related words

2 items

to perish

遇难 specifically means to meet with a disaster or die in an accident, often used for victims of crashes or natural disasters.

to endure hardship

遭罪 means to endure hardship or suffering, often used in colloquial contexts.

Synonyms

1 item

to suffer hardship

Both mean to suffer, but 遭殃 emphasizes a calamity or disaster befalling someone, while 受苦 is more general suffering or hardship.

Usage notes

Collocations

遭殃 is typically used with people or places as the subject, not for minor inconveniences. Often appears in phrases like 百姓遭殃 (the common people suffer).

Common mistakes

Learners may overuse 遭殃 for personal everyday troubles. It implies a serious disaster, not just a bad day.

Example Sentences

1 shown

战争让很多百姓遭殃。

The war made many common people suffer calamities.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 遭殃

calamity

to meet by chance (usually with misfortune)