tormentor

play

noun tor·men·tor \tȯr-ˈmen-tər, ˈtȯr-ˌ\

variants: or less commonly

tormenter

Definition of tormentor

1 : one that torments
2 : a fixed curtain or flat on each side of a theater stage that prevents the audience from seeing into the wings

Recent Examples of tormentor from the Web

Margrethe Vestager, the EU antitrust chief who became the tech industry’s prime tormentor after taking up her post in 2014, has disavowed any political agenda.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "Why Google, Facebook, and Amazon Should Worry About Europe," 20 July 2017
But in season 6, Stark got revenge on her rapist and tormentor by leading him to a grisly death.

— nina bahadur, SELF, "The Complicated Politics of Sansa's 'Game of Thrones' Rape Scene," 7 July 2017
The Utah Republican, who just gave up his House seat to join Fox News, was one of Hillary Clinton’s most persistent tormentors during the 2016 campaign, digging into the Democratic nominee’s email-server scandal and other Clinton controversies.

— OregonLive.com, "The anti-impeachment crowd: Donald Trump's 20 greatest enablers (Commentary)," 30 June 2017
There was his scrum behind the Nashville net late in the first period with frequent tormentor P.K. Subban.

— will graves, The Seattle Times, "Crosby doing it all again as Penguins close in on Cup," 9 June 2017
The Marlins supported Volquez with an unusually successful night against Phillies righty Jeremy Hellickson, their tormentor since the start of 2016.

— tim healey, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins' Edinson Volquez strong as Miami beats Philadelphia for first consecutive wins in more than a month," 29 May 2017
The other two were certifiable disasters, and on a night in which the Astros ace and Yankee tormentor Dallas Keuchel was particularly vulnerable, turned out to be the difference between unlikely victory and gut-wrenching defeat.

— wallace matthews, New York Times, "For Final Out, Astros Tag Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury at Home Plate," 11 May 2017
Christ’s tormentors often wear uniforms — of Colombian soldiers and policemen.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Botero exhibit at Tijuana Cultural Center," 1 May 2017
When referee David Fields spared Klitschko, for so long the tormentor of hopefuls and crusher of dreams in this, the most punishing division in the sport, Joshua simply leaned back and nodded.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Anthony Joshua gives heavyweights a dose of past glory," 29 Apr. 2017

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