1
as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
the released soldiers gave interviews trying to explain to civilians the torment that prisoners of war experience
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
was in torment for weeks after he broke up with his girlfriend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress
insomnia that was caused by a host of nighttime torments
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as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torment
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Her fiction has long been characterized by gruesome imagery and body horror, often sustained by characters whose psychological torment proves even more distressing than their physical conditions.
—
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Chantz Martin Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
The result is borderline Succession-esque in its level of absurdity, and D’Arcy, so reliably tormented, gets to show sides of the character that have never even been hinted at before.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
Having not won the SPL since joining in January 2023, this was supposed to be the night the 41-year-old Portuguese forward ended the torment.
—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Her fiction has long been characterized by gruesome imagery and body horror, often sustained by characters whose psychological torment proves even more distressing than their physical conditions.
—
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
In recent years, Trae Young has repeatedly tormented the Knicks at the famed Madison Square Garden, turning clutch shots and postgame showmanship into vulgar chants from New York fans.
—
Chantz Martin Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
The result is borderline Succession-esque in its level of absurdity, and D’Arcy, so reliably tormented, gets to show sides of the character that have never even been hinted at before.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
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And your character is in such agony.
Noun
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The Hoffmans are suing Boelter for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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Not to mention smoking hot Hart Bochner as the himbo-in-distress.
Noun
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There are highs and lows, angels and demons.
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Davion Mitchell is a defensive demon.
Verb
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The high school exam board, CBSE, has faced public outrage over an electronic marking system plagued with technical glitches, during which students said answers were wrongly marked or, in some cases, answer sheets were omitted entirely.
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The department said that all reopenings of the Reflecting Pool have been plagued by algae blooms and that vacuuming up the algae would take a couple of days.
Noun
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As the noise-rap-electro act Jane Remover shrieked and pleaded through a 90-minute marathon set at the Fonda on Thursday night, one very young couple dressed right out of a conservative‘s nightmare — gender-ambiguous, purple hair, facial piercings — tapped me on the shoulder.
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The killing scenes of the regime were so fresh in my nightmares when the war began and now the sound of airstrikes and fighter jets added to them.
Noun
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His journey to becoming CEO of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge involves a buildup of pain and addiction.
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About two decades ago, Turner said, the healthcare industry started acknowledging the limits and risks of prescribing opioids for chronic pain.
Noun
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In the end, reverence for the likes of Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Attila the Hun mistakes fear for respect, destruction for disruption, and raw terror for true greatness.
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Set five years after the Ghostbusters took the Statue of Liberty for a walk, young, scrappy New Yorkers face a new wave of supernatural terror hitting the Big Apple.
Verb
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Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
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It's partially inspired by director Benjamin Christensen's research on the German text Malleus Maleficarum, a guide to witchcraft for inquisitors looking to persecute its perpetrators.
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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