To brainwash someone is to push a belief into their head that is not true, and to keep pushing until they stop fighting it. The methods are ugly: force, fear, mixing them up so they cannot think straight, or saying the same thing again and again for a long time, until the old thoughts feel washed out.

To brainwash someonebrainwash 一個人 is to push a belief into their head that is not true就是把一個不真實的信念硬塞進他們腦子裡, and to keep pushing until they stop fighting it而且一直塞，直到他們不再抵抗為止。The methods are ugly手法很醜陋: force, fear暴力、恐懼, mixing them up so they cannot think straight把人搞得思緒混亂到無法好好思考, or saying the same thing again and again for a long time或是長時間一遍又一遍說同一件事, until the old thoughts feel washed out直到舊有的想法感覺被沖洗掉為止。

The word is strong. News, history, and films use it for prisons, cults, and war.

The word這個字的語氣 is strong很強烈。News, history, and films新聞、歷史，還有電影 use it for prisons, cults, and war會用這個字來說監獄、邪教，還有戰爭。

In loose talk people also say it about adverts, social media, or a school that only tells one story — they mean “this message is hitting me so often I cannot think”, not that someone locked them in a room. That loose use is common, but it is weaker than the original.

In loose talk在比較鬆散的說法裡, people also say it about adverts, social media, or a school that only tells one story人們也會用這個字來說廣告、社群媒體，或只講一種說法的學校 — they mean "this message is hitting me so often I cannot think"他們的意思是「這個訊息一直轟炸我，讓我沒辦法好好思考」, not that someone locked them in a room不是說有人真的把他們鎖在房間裡。That loose use這種鬆散的用法 is common很常見, but it is weaker than the original但語氣比原本的意思弱一些。

It is a verb: they brainwashed him; she is trying to brainwash the group.

It它 is a verb是動詞: they brainwashed himthey brainwashed him（他們對他洗腦）; she is trying to brainwash the groupshe is trying to brainwash the group（她想對這群人洗腦）。

Though actually, English did not invent the picture. It copied Chinese 洗腦 — wash the brain — and American soldiers brought the English wording into common use during the Korean War.

Though actually不過其實, English did not invent the picture英文並不是自己發明這個說法的。It它 copied Chinese 洗腦是抄自中文的「洗腦」 — wash the brain字面就是把腦子洗一洗 — and American soldiers brought the English wording into common use during the Korean War而美軍士兵在韓戰期間把這個英文說法帶回去，讓它變得普遍。