torture

[tawr-cher]

noun

1. the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.

2. a method of inflicting such pain.

3. Often tortures. the pain or suffering caused or undergone.

4. extreme anguish of body or mind; agony.

5. a cause of severe pain or anguish.

verb (used with object)

tortured, torturing 

1. to subject to torture.

2. to afflict with severe pain of body or mind.

   My back is torturing me.

3. to force or extort by torture.

   We'll torture the truth from his lips!

4. to twist, force, or bring into some unnatural position or form.

   trees tortured by storms.

5. to distort or pervert (language, meaning, etc.).

torture

/ ˈtɔːtʃə /

verb

1. to cause extreme physical pain to, esp in order to extract information, break resistance, etc

   to torture prisoners

2. to give mental anguish to

3. to twist into a grotesque form

noun

1. physical or mental anguish

2. the practice of torturing a person

3. a cause of mental agony or worry

Usage

The adjective torturous is sometimes confused with tortuous. One speaks of a torturous experience, i.e. one that involves pain or suffering, but of a tortuous road, i.e. one that winds or twists

Other Word Forms

• torturable adjective
• torturedly adverb
• torturer noun
• torturesome adjective
• torturingly adverb
• overtorture verb (used with object)
• pretorture noun
• self-torture noun
• self-tortured adjective
• self-torturing adjective
• untortured adjective
• torturously adverb
• torturing adjective
• tortured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of torture¹

First recorded in 1530–40, torture is from the Late Latin word tortūra a twisting, torment, torture. See tort, -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of torture¹

C16: from Late Latin tortūra a twisting, from torquēre to twist

Synonym Study

See torment.

Example Sentences

A month later, village head Serhiy Yavorsky was captured by the Russians, who beat and tortured him with electricity, needles and acid, according to testimony given in a Ukrainian court.

Read more on BBC

The president could issue signing statements – a written pronouncement – that reinterpret or ignore parts of the laws, like George W. Bush did in 2006 to circumvent a ban on torture.

Read more on Salon

According to the police officer who questioned Mas'ud, the facility was "well run", the prisoners were not restrained and there were no signs of torture or coercion.

Read more on BBC

This developing plot line, however, stays in the background as customers turn up demanding to look like Beyoncé or requesting micro braids, a labor-intensive torture for overworked hands.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The sister of a man who fell to his death from an Aberdeen high-rise after being tortured is calling for a new law to protect others.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• abuse 
• annoy 
• beat 
• disturb 
• injure 
• maim 
• mistreat 
• mutilate 
• oppress 
• persecute 
• torment 
• wound