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
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
The best tended to use puns, literalization — turning an idiom into reality — and pedantic humor to delight and torment children in equal measures.
—
Lindsey Bever,
Washington Post,
21 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
Caleb and Kayda spend a few minutes chatting in the Say Less nook, and Zach torments himself with mental images of them making out just outside of view.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
The best tended to use puns, literalization — turning an idiom into reality — and pedantic humor to delight and torment children in equal measures.
—
Lindsey Bever,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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Adding to Rezaeian’s agony, right before the final whistle another potential clincher, a header from Khalilzadeh, hit the crossbar.
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The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
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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Instead, Isaac, 28, will become an unrestricted free agent after nine years in Orlando that were plagued by injury.
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Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
Noun
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Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
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From dream home to disaster But faster than a rushing river, that dream became a nightmare when disastrous flooding hit Kerr County last summer.
Noun
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The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
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The first shingles vaccine was licensed in 2006, and the more effective Shingrix vaccine was introduced in 2017, greatly reducing the risk of shingles and long-term nerve pain, according to the CDC and FDA.
Noun
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Thibault in a news conference Tuesday said that authorities believe the incident was not related to terror.
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Meanwhile, frightful aftershocks continued to rock the area, sowing terror in a population already reaching the limits of endurance.
Verb
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The Washington Principles also recognize that many sales of artwork by Jews during the Nazi era occurred while they were being persecuted, or under duress.
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Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted.
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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