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
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
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
And there is arguably something no less unseemly about making a show about yet-unresolved torment and grief that corrals one’s family into an extended act of performance.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
He’s clearly still tormented by his father’s death and finding the man responsible, but sharing all of that with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) is a big step.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
This is exactly what the Kremlin wants: political torment to add to Kyiv’s woes across the front line.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
And there is arguably something no less unseemly about making a show about yet-unresolved torment and grief that corrals one’s family into an extended act of performance.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
America sanctioned the school where she was abused and tormented.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
He’s clearly still tormented by his father’s death and finding the man responsible, but sharing all of that with Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) is a big step.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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Ellie is stricken with agony, her reaction almost feral.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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The agony of not knowing was heartbreakingly illustrated by the plight of Oscar Johnson, of St. Charles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Kahle said that includes providing resources to participants for whom sharing experiences of intimate partner violence may cause trauma or mental health distress.—
Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
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Costa Rican officials have disputed reports by the country’s Ombudsman’s Office that the deportees arrived in Costa Rica in visible distress and that authorities failed to guarantee proper conditions for arriving deportees.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Between cases, Harvey confronted his demons and by the series’ 2019 finale was a married man headed to Seattle to reunite with his sidekick to do some legal good for the little guys.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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This could be the first step in Hellebuyck erasing demons from playoffs past.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the final 22 minutes of Game 5 demonstrated the same weaknesses that plagued Orlando for the entire season and throughout the playoff series.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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But this preoccupation may have been a way to offset the general malaise that plagued her.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Package delivery and unpaid toll texts have taken most of the headlines, but an even worse threat is proving a nightmare for phone users.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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What begins as an ordinary parental milestone descends into a nightmare as a cross-border search unfolds.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps Vrabel values the toughness Hill showed in playing through pain.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Antivirals: Ear pain related to viruses may require antiviral medications.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The massive spike in antisemitic incidents that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023 continued last year, according to data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
22 Apr. 2025
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The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history and the worst domestic terror attack on Hispanics that the country has ever seen.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In a video posted to his Truth Social platform in December 2023, Trump accused the FBI and DOJ of sending undercover spies to churches to persecute people of faith.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The statement concluded with an expression of solidarity with Christians who are persecuted.—
Chloe Breyer,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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