torture
noun
the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.
had tortured
-
past perfectof torture.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And he recently starred in “Schacten,” a German film about a Jewish man in 1960s Europe who decides to seek personal vengeance against the Nazi commandant who had tortured his parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2022
Mr Mitsotakis said the decision had "tortured" him but he felt a "heavy responsibility in standing next to those most vulnerable, even if it might fleetingly displease them".
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2021
They banished the others, those mythical miscreants who had tortured them for decades and kept so many proud baseball men from tasting the World Series.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2016
This was a conundrum that had tortured me, and which continues to haunt me.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 27, 2015
Dad would’ve joked that he and Mom had tortured me with their stories one too many times and had inadvertently brainwashed me.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
