摧

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to break; to destroy; to devastate; to ravage; to repress

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

扌 meaning “hand” + 崔 sound ( cuī )

Components 扌崔

wreck · Heisig RSH #1938

指 finger + pterodactyl

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
兰摧玉折	lán cuī yù zhé	premature death of a budding talent; those whom the Gods love die young
无坚不摧	wú jiān bù cuī	no stronghold one cannot overcome (idiom); to conquer every obstacle; nothing one can't do…
坚不可摧	jiān bù kě cuī	(idiom) invulnerable; indestructible; impregnable
摧残	cuī cán	to ravage; to ruin
悲摧	bēi cuī	grieved; miserable
摧毁	cuī huǐ	to destroy; to wreck
崩摧	bēng cuī	to collapse; to shatter

Characters sharing the sound component 崔 — compare how they read.