致使 is a formal, written verb meaning 'to cause' or 'to bring about', typically indicating that an action or condition directly results in a specific (often negative or consequential) outcome. It combines 致 (zhì), meaning 'to bring about; to lead to', and 使 (shǐ), meaning 'to cause; to make'. Together, they form a compound verb emphasizing causation with a tone of inevitability or logical consequence — common in academic writing, news reports, legal texts, and formal explanations.

This word is not used in casual speech and rarely appears in spoken Chinese unless quoting official language or delivering a serious analysis. It often follows a clause describing the cause and precedes the resulting effect, functioning similarly to 'resulting in', 'leading to', or 'causing' in English. Unlike more neutral verbs like 导致 or 引起, 致使 carries a slightly stronger implication of direct, often undesirable causality — for example, linking negligence to harm or policy flaws to social problems.