torture

1 of 2

noun

tor·​ture ˈtȯr-chər How to pronounce torture (audio)
1
: the infliction of intense pain (as from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure
2
a
: something that causes agony or pain
b
: anguish of body or mind : agony
3
: distortion or overrefinement of a meaning or an argument : straining

torture

2 of 2

verb

tortured; torturing ˈtȯrch-riŋ How to pronounce torture (audio)
ˈtȯr-chə-

transitive verb

1
: to cause intense suffering to : torment
2
: to punish or coerce by inflicting excruciating pain
3
: to twist or wrench out of shape : distort, warp
torturer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for torture

afflict, try, torment, torture, rack mean to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear.

afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

Examples of torture in a Sentence

Noun Waiting is just torture for me. Listening to him can be torture. Verb The report revealed that prisoners had been repeatedly tortured. Don't torture yourself over the mistake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Commission chair Erik Mose said the torture takes many forms including beating, verbal abuse, electric shocks, and limited access to food and water. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 And while that might feel like torture — i.e., helplessness to prevent the worst — try seeing it instead as liberating. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 She was found wrapped in a blanket, with her hands and feet bound, showing signs of torture, authorities said, Fox 13 reported previously. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 The materials also exposed instances of the CIA engaging in torture and rendition. Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Many bore signs of torture, according to a court document detailing the May 2019 find. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 Humphrey was charged with one count of murder and one count of torture, according to a news release on Thursday from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. Andy Rose, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 Moreover, there is no serious ethical comparison between a terrorist group that rapes, tortures, kidnaps, and kills civilians and a country that mostly tries, within the limits war imposes, to protect them. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Set in the tundra, the Troika is built to hold about 1,000 prisoners in some of the most remote, strict and harsh conditions in Russia, which former convicts say can cross into torture. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Related article Mississippi sheriff rolls out reforms after deputies and an officer plead guilty to torturing 2 Black men When emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, Jenkins was taken to a hospital and underwent multiple surgeries. Emma Tucker, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 If he’s not getting tortured, there’s not a lot of interesting things going on. Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Blending gothic atmosphere and ghastly horror, the film is full of unforgettable images: The witch Aja (Steele) being tortured before she’s burned at the stake; an undead sorcerer digging himself out of his grave; Aja’s tomb exploding with the power of her rage. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 Investigators ultimately determined the twins had been beaten and tortured repeatedly in the family’s Westchester home. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 They’re lured to compounds in countries including Cambodia and Myanmar with offers of high-paying jobs, then trapped, forced to scam, and sometimes beaten and tortured. Zeke Faux, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Captured by brigands, the immigrants are herded into a remote Libyan prison camp where they are tormented and tortured. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024 Perhaps India’s most infamous case of recent years was the 2012 gang-rape of a medical student who was beaten, tortured and left to die following a brutal attack on a public bus in New Delhi. Vedika Sud, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Gao Zhisheng was a human rights lawyer who spent years in jail and was tortured, and then disappeared in 2017. Li Yuan, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'torture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Old French, from Late Latin tortura, from Latin tortus, past participle of torquēre to twist; probably akin to Old High German drāhsil turner, Greek atraktos spindle

First Known Use

Noun

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of torture was in 1540

Dictionary Entries Near torture

Cite this Entry

“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torture. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

torture

1 of 2 noun
tor·​ture ˈtȯr-chər How to pronounce torture (audio)
1
: distress of body or mind
2
: the causing of great pain especially to punish or to obtain a confession

torture

2 of 2 verb
tortured; torturing ˈtȯrch-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce torture (audio)
1
: to cause great suffering to
2
: to punish or force someone to do or say something by causing great pain
torturer noun
Etymology

Noun

from French torture "causing of intense pain or agony," from Latin tortura "act of twisting," from earlier tortus, past participle of torquēre "to twist" — related to distort, extort, retort

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