torment 1 of 2

torment

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word torment different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of torment are afflict, rack, torture, and try. While all these words mean "to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear," torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

Where would afflict be a reasonable alternative to torment?

While the synonyms afflict and torment are close in meaning, afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

When could rack be used to replace torment?

The words rack and torment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

When is torture a more appropriate choice than torment?

In some situations, the words torture and torment are roughly equivalent. However, torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

When might try be a better fit than torment?

While in some cases nearly identical to torment, try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torment
Noun
This time, Scott had a less metaphysical explanation for his torment. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025 Others spoke about becoming stronger people despite years of torment by both close associates and online strangers. Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Grabber hounds Finn through an old phone booth and torments Gwen through her dreams. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 Was Scott brimming with optimism for the future, as his brother maintained, or privately tormented, as his partner believed? Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
  • The three women waited in agony for Randolph to get home, but the suffering only got worse.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
  • This approaching wall of agony might understandably have stressed out Šobat.
    Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In times of distress and blood loss, the body responds by slowing circulation to our fingers and our toes, preserving blood flow to our heart, and our brain.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Severe or prolonged distress when separated from a parent.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Playing sinister demon Bathsheba in The Conjuring universe isn't Joseph Bishara's only impressive talent.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The show then unravels like a circus, hopping with rabid animals when real demons from the underworld steal the spotlight, feeding off the rising live-stream viewer count.
    Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, Paramount is grappling with the same issues that are plaguing other media giants.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Injuries plagued Los Angeles all season.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • People who have extreme nightmares from PTSD can use NightWare, a prescription-only system that comes with a preprogrammed Apple Watch and detects if the wearer is having a nightmare.
    Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In the decades since, gothic nightmares like Crimson Peak and supernatural horrors like Poltergeist have risen as staples of the subgenre.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Ergofoot Orthopedic Slippers For those on my holiday list who have more sensitive and pain-prone feet, this orthopedic pair stands out from the crowd.
    Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • According to my friends from STATS Perform, only six other relief pitchers in World Series history can share his pain.
    Jayson Stark, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That mixture of terror and safety is the secret sauce for Mike Jubie, creator of the Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses in New York’s historic Hudson Valley.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
  • On the other, a vision of what life would be like without the terror group.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Create Abundance's lawyer in Canada, Brian Vickers, said that the two companies Li directed were not connected to the group and that it was being wrongfully persecuted.
    Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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