water torture

British

noun

any of various forms of torture using water, esp one in which water drips or is slowly poured onto the victim's forehead

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

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.

“Incremental change — that’s almost water torture, especially when our communities desire radical change, not extreme change,” Jessup told Salon.

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2025

The drip-drip-drip of it is some form of water torture for the people who play in Washington.

From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2022

I haven’t seen the film since that first viewing, but so many moments of this workplace drama as water torture still feel so clear in my memory.

From Slate • Dec. 31, 2020

That was to stop the Chinese water torture of embarrassing photos and texts about his relationship with Sanchez, a Los Angeles television personality, which put in motion a divorce from his wife MacKenzie.

From Fox News • Feb. 17, 2019

That sounded about as much fun as Chinese water torture or getting his teeth extracted.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023