This is the 17736th most frequent Polish word.
znęcał
"He mistreated" or "He abused."
Here, the word is used to describe someone abusing another in a physical or emotional manner.
On znęcał się nad swoim bratem.
He abused his brother.
Used metaphorically to describe how characters in a story are subjected to hardships by the author.
W swojej powieści autor znęcał się nad postaciami, stawiając je w trudnych sytuacjach.
In his novel, the author tormented the characters by putting them in difficult situations.
Utilized figuratively here, indicating rough or improper playing of an instrument.