torment

noun

tor·ment | \ ˈtȯr-ˌment

Definition of torment

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : extreme pain or anguish of body or mind : agony She wrung her hands piteously together, looking like a soul in torment.— Lucy Maud Montgomery

2 : a source of vexation or pain Love is a delight; but hate a torment.— Herman Melville … the twin torments of his probable manic depression and chronic stomach pains.— Neal Karlen

3 : the infliction of torture (as by rack or wheel)

torment

verb

tor·ment | \ tȯr-ˈment

, ˈtȯr-ˌment

tormented; tormenting; torments

Definition of torment (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cause severe usually persistent or recurrent distress of body or mind to cattle tormented by flies tormented by doubt She liked me, but she laughed at me, and tormented me …— Charles Dickens

2 : distort, twist

Other Words from torment Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about torment

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Other Words from torment

Verb

tormented adjective

… Emily — who is easily one of the most tormented characters of the show … — Rowan Born The Witch makes the mundane sinister, from the tormented shapes of the corn husks in the field to the weird glow of pewter by candlelight. — Katy Waldman

Choose the Right Synonym for torment

Verb

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 torment in a Sentence

Noun

No one could understand his inner torment. After years of torment, she left her husband. The mosquitoes were a constant torment.

Verb

Not knowing where she was tormented him. he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Now this is her penance: wake after wake, mother after mother, trying to spare them the solitary torment that almost killed her. — Claire Galofaro, The Seattle Times, "Moms of the dead from drugs: “Where is the outrage for us?”," 29 Jan. 2019 Others this week and this morning have spoken to the depths of his torment and the depths of his courage there in the cells of Hanoi when day after day, year after year, that youthful iron was tempered into steel. — WSJ, "Former President Barack Obama’s Remarks at McCain Memorial," 1 Sep. 2018 In fact, the existential horror of the Medium Place (boredom and a lack of cocaine) is treated with much more gravity than the possibility of eternal physical torment. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The (secular) gospel according to The Good Place," 5 Dec. 2018 In fact, the existential horror of the Medium Place (boredom and a lack of cocaine) is treated with much more gravity than the possibility of eternal physical torment. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The (secular) gospel according to The Good Place," 5 Dec. 2018 In fact, the existential horror of the Medium Place (boredom and a lack of cocaine) is treated with much more gravity than the possibility of eternal physical torment. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The (secular) gospel according to The Good Place," 5 Dec. 2018 By any measure, Hell is a cruel and oppressive concept: a place where sinners suffer unspeakable torments for all eternity for sins committed during their mortal lives. — Scott G. Bruce, WSJ, "Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?," 13 Sep. 2018 Once again Kevin Systrom goes onstage somewhere and is not forced to answer exactly what led to his departure at Instagram, to my everlasting torment. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Facebook has a growing morale problem," 15 Nov. 2018 Others this week and this morning have spoken to the depths of his torment and the depths of his courage there in the cells of Hanoi when day after day, year after year that youthful iron was tempered into steel. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Read the Full Transcript of Barack Obama's Speech at John McCain's Funeral," 1 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

One arrives in one’s hotel room sweaty and confused, tormenting over the bellman’s tip, and feels almost obliged to rush out and see either the Louvre or Notre-Dame. — Jay Mcinerney, Vogue, "Why, Oh Why Do I Love Paris? Jay McInerney Counted the Ways in a 1986 Story for Vogue, Republished Here in Solidarity With the French Capital, Where Notre-Dame Burned," 16 Apr. 2019 On the bright side, tormented Teddy made it to the other world, thanks to Dolores. — William Lee, chicagotribune.com, "‘Westworld’ Episode 10 recap: 5 things to know about ‘The Passenger’ and Season 2's finale," 24 June 2018 As much as any artist in recent memory, Onfroy offered stark contradictions between the sensitive and the sadistic, the talented and the tormented. — Gerrick D. Kennedy Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press, "Slain rapper XXXTentacion’s violent life stood in stark contrast to sensitive music," 21 June 2018 The only hitch is that the Bad Place purposefully selected participants that would trigger the worst qualities in Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason, including a gossip columnist named John who tormented Tahani, as well as Chidi's ex, Simone. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Season 4 of 'The Good Place' Sounds Like It Will Be the Most Righteous One Yet," 3 May 2019 Nightingale did indeed rescue an owl from some children who were tormenting the animal at the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Did Queen Victoria Really Meet Florence Nightingale?," 4 Feb. 2019 Back then, Hubbard was an exceedingly tall safety tormenting receivers in the secondary. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com, "Ex-Moeller, Ohio State standout Hubbard working to prove his stock in NFL," 16 Jan. 2018 In Season 2, Michael repeatedly wipes the memories of the four humans in order to continue tormenting them, but each time the group figures out what's really happening. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Season 4 of 'The Good Place' Sounds Like It Will Be the Most Righteous One Yet," 3 May 2019 In Antonello da Messina’s life-size oil (1478-79), the largely nude saint is impervious to torment and gazes into the heavens, his pious virtue equated with his Apollonian beauty, which was modeled after classical sculpture. — Mary Tompkins Lewis, WSJ, "‘The Renaissance Nude’ Review: The Body, Sacred and Sensual," 14 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'torment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.