An Aramaic verb used in Daniel meaning to wear out, waste away, or exhaust. It conveys the slow deterioration of something through persistent pressure or time. In its prophetic context it describes the intended action of the fourth beast against 'the holy ones of the Most High' — attempting to wear down God's people through sustained persecution and oppression.
The vision in Daniel 7 reveals that anti-God powers operate by wearing down the saints — a strategy of attrition rather than single decisive defeat. This insight is profoundly pastoral: spiritual warfare often comes not as dramatic confrontation but as grinding, persistent pressure designed to exhaust faith. The promise of Daniel is that God limits the duration of such wearing down and ultimately vindicates his people. The New Testament picks this up — the gates of hell shall not prevail, and he who endures to the end shall be saved.