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torture

[ tawr-cher ]
/ ˈtɔr tŹƒÉ™r /
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See synonyms for: torture / tortured / torturing / torturesome on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object), torĀ·tured, torĀ·turĀ·ing.
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Origin of torture

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

synonym study for torture

6. See torment.

OTHER WORDS FROM torture

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use torture in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for torture

torture
/ (ˈtɔːtŹƒÉ™) /

verb (tr)
to cause extreme physical pain to, esp in order to extract information, break resistance, etcto torture prisoners
to give mental anguish to
to twist into a grotesque form
noun
physical or mental anguish
the practice of torturing a person
a cause of mental agony or worry

Derived forms of torture

Word Origin for torture

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

usage for torture

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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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