insult, disgrace

辱 is composed of 辰 (time) and 寸 (inch). 辰 depicts supports that prevent a cliff from collapsing, while 寸 is a pictograph of the hand. Therefore, 辱 conveys the idea of removing the supports by hand. After the supports are removed, the rocks on the cliff gradually peel away and eventually cause a collapse. From this, 辱 came to mean subtle and imperceptible damage, and is used to mean shame or to put someone in an embarrassing situation.