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

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

The reception from supporters to Martin's appointment was frosty at best and he failed to win them over at any stage of his tortured 123-day tenure.

Read more on BBC

Six months after his release, in September 2019, he was back in jail - after sharing a Facebook post about torture.

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But soon after the transport pulls into the base, the torture begins.

Read more on Salon

“It just seems like such a tortured reading of the statute,” the judge said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In fact, pleasure is necessary, especially for the regularly tortured Valentin who seems to have been numb for a long time.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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