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Definitions

torture

[tawr-cher] / ˈtɔr tʃər /
NOUN
severe mental or physical pain
Synonyms
STRONGEST
misery persecution suffering torment
STRONG
ache affliction agony anguish crucifixion distress dolor excruciation impalement laceration martyrdom pang rack tribulation twinge
WEAK
cruciation third degree
Antonyms
STRONGEST
happiness joy
STRONG
comfort contentment health peace relief
WEAK
alleviation
VERB
upset or hurt severely
Synonyms
STRONGEST
abuse annoy beat disturb injure maim mistreat mutilate oppress persecute torment wound
STRONG
afflict agonize bother crucify distress excruciate grill harrow impale irritate lacerate mangle martyr martyrize pain rack smite try whip wring wrong
Antonyms
STRONGEST
aid appease assist comfort commend cure delight fix heal help make happy mend please protect repair soothe
STRONG
assuage calm
WEAK
alleviate relieve

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.

For Maisie Adam, taking part - and crucially trying not to crack - in Last One Laughing was "absolute torture".

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

For other kinds of travelers, that sounds like torture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Giving examples of his office's work, Turk said it supported 67,000 survivors of torture and modern slavery, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations and exposed discrimination in more than 100 countries.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Well, according to those memos, not only is it not torture, it’s not illegal.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

After each violent attack, I started to fear that maybe it wasn’t food poisoning, but rather that something far more insidious was responsible for the gut-wrenching torture taking place in my body.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Vocabulary lists containing torture

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III

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Twists and Turns: Tor

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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"

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