torment

[tawr-ment, tawr-ment, tawr-ment]

verb (used with object)

1. to afflict with great bodily or mental suffering; pain.

   to be tormented with violent headaches.

   Synonyms: agonize, distress, vex, vex, hector, harry
   Antonyms: please

2. to worry or annoy excessively.

   to torment one with questions.

   Synonyms: fret, trouble, trouble, needle, provoke, tease, pester, plague, plague

3. to throw into commotion; stir up; disturb.

noun

1. a state of great bodily or mental suffering; agony; misery.

   Synonyms: anguish, distress, torture

2. something that causes great bodily or mental pain or suffering.

3. a source of much trouble, worry, or annoyance.

4. an instrument of torture, as the rack or the thumbscrew.

5. the infliction of torture by means of such an instrument or the torture so inflicted.

torment

verb

1. to afflict with great pain, suffering, or anguish; torture

2. to tease or pester in an annoying way

   stop tormenting the dog

noun

1. physical or mental pain

2. a source of pain, worry, annoyance, etc

3. archaic,  an instrument of torture

4. archaic,  the infliction of torture

Other Word Forms

• tormentedly adverb
• tormentingly adverb
• tormentingness noun
• untormented adjective
• untormenting adjective
• untormentingly adverb
• tormenting adjective
• tormented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of torment¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English, from Old French, from Latin tormentum “rope, catapult, torture,” from unattested tork w -ment- ( torque, -ment ); (verb) Middle English tormenten, from Old French tormenter, derivative of torment (compare Late Latin tormentāre )

Word History and Origins

Origin of torment¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin tormentum, from torquēre

Synonym Study

Torment , rack , torture suggest causing great physical or mental pain, suffering, or harassment. To torment is to afflict or harass as by incessant repetition of vexations or annoyances: to be tormented by doubts. To rack is to affect with such pain as that suffered by one stretched on a rack; to concentrate with painful effort: to rack one's brains. To torture is to afflict with acute and more or less protracted suffering: to torture one by keeping one in suspense.

Example Sentences

Russia was known for its stormy classical music, its tormented poets, its mournful novelists and bittersweet playwrights.

Read more on Literature

“Next time we meet, this torment will be over. I swear it. Ah-choo!”

Read more on Literature

A shadow, possibly related to the death of her parents in a house fire when she was a girl, has been tormenting her for ages.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The role neatly utilizes Clooney’s gifts for physical comedy, verbal dexterity and conveying inner torment.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He went along with the loudest voices in his party to minimize his torment at the hands of activists.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• afflict 
• annoy 
• bedevil 
• bother 
• harass 
• hound 
• hurt 
• irritate 
• mistreat 
• molest 
• nag 
• pester 
• plague 
• smite 
• tease 
• torture 
• vex