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
Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
This time, Scott had a less metaphysical explanation for his torment.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
In the series’ end, Harry and his sometime school comrades and allied teachers and others, fight off said tormented self-loathing wizard as, simultaneously, fascistic muggles rise, opposing the mere existence of their kind.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
Chavez faced his own share of torment.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
This time, Scott had a less metaphysical explanation for his torment.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
Perchta is known to torment people who didn’t properly celebrate the 12 days of Christmas.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
In the series’ end, Harry and his sometime school comrades and allied teachers and others, fight off said tormented self-loathing wizard as, simultaneously, fascistic muggles rise, opposing the mere existence of their kind.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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Following months of agony and fundraising, Abeba was eventually able to send enough money to pay for her brother Daniel’s release.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Near those boundaries, microscopic changes in pace or line flip the result, explaining why near-identical putts can alternate between agony and ecstasy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Certain symptoms that signaled addictive food behavior were also more common among women, like inability to decrease intake, greater cravings and distress about their consumption.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Nov. 2025
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Roughly half of all low-income countries are in or near debt distress, which can significantly exacerbate food insecurity.—
ARIF HUSAIN,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Rather than rob the story of its teeth, this enabled me to explore the pain, loneliness and personal demons of my characters with sympathy rather than stinging bite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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When their biggest demonic enemy (Lee Byung-hun) encourages the formation of an equally popular K-pop boy band aimed at stealing the souls of their fans, the trio has to fight harder than ever to hold the demons at bay while keeping their friendship intact.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And then stop the organizational dysfunction, which has plagued the team for years.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The program, plagued from the outset by cost overruns and delays, was paused by the ICC at the end of 2023 to conduct an investigation into the best path forward after the surcharge expired.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Fallibility is written into our genetic code, and refereeing is basically a nightmare now for everyone involved.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But more than just a topical procedural thriller, the film also plays out like a Kafka novel about endless invasions of privacy and assumptions of malicious intent that converge to form a modern nightmare.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said after the match that the Argentina international had asked to be substituted due to his pain.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The red sole is a visible pain endured for the privilege of being seen enduring it.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The other lives in New Jersey and is accused of talking about a potential terror attack in Boston during a livestream.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esmé, along with many patrons and staff, experienced the terror and chaos of the event firsthand.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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German far-right influencer applies for asylum in US A prominent far-right German activist and influencer is seeking political asylum in the US, arguing she is being persecuted at home for her beliefs.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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Langkawi, Malaysia Reuters — The number of people confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border rose to 11 on Monday, authorities said, with about 70 people believed to have been on board the capsized vessel.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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