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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Kerry Howley, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
The real torments have been so glazed over, many poems resemble old paintings lost beneath a dozen layers of varnish.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
The story follows a man who inherits his father’s auto repair shop and tries to turn it around, aided and tormented by his cousin, Shane.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
This need is the source of her personal torment and also her power.
—Kerry Howley, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
The real torments have been so glazed over, many poems resemble old paintings lost beneath a dozen layers of varnish.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
And Soto will continue to make life difficult for the NL East as well, tormenting opposing pitchers for the next 15 years.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
The story follows a man who inherits his father’s auto repair shop and tries to turn it around, aided and tormented by his cousin, Shane.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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But playing with an already-strained right calf, the Oshkosh, Wis., native stepped awkwardly towards the basket and crumbled to the court in agony when his leg appeared to pop.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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Finding alternatives that would end this agony would be one of American science’s most important achievements.—
Rachel Fobar,
Vox,
14 May 2025
Noun
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To add insult to injury, distress at work has been linked to a decrease in innovative work behavior, meaning all that destructive stress ultimately may yield less inspiring work.—
Drew Gerber,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The Tennessee law, like Idaho’s, centers on medical care for transgender youth that addresses gender dysphoria, or feelings of distress when a person’s body or presentation doesn’t match their gender identity.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Things become complicated when a popular rival boy band, The Saja Boys, are revealed to be demons.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Despite decades away from the musical mainstream in the 1970s and '80s, when his psychological demons were most aggressive, Wilson's towering impact was never in question.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Pachuca’s failure plagued Salzburg as well, with the Austrian side needing a boost after things turned for the worse against Real Madrid, only to be denied – despite their social media admin’s best pleas.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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The last few projects have been plagued by delays and massive cost overruns.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
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But highly damaged Mark, whose upbringing was evidently a nightmare of abuse, has found salvation, or at least escape: He’s ordained himself a servant of the Lord, holding improvisational services in the prison chapel to a paltry flock.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 June 2025
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Making significant leaps from the earlier installments, the new film grows from a grim survival nightmare to a grand epic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The class encompasses information about exercises to prepare the mother for birth, relaxation and coping techniques, pain control options, labor positioning, induction and C-section basics, recovery and welcoming baby.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
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Castor oil packs are a popular home remedy used to support pain relief, digestion, lymphatic flow, and skin health.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Izadi had been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. over his ties to the Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, which also helped plan the Oct. 7 terror attacks.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
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By the time Jaws’s 45th anniversaries rolled around, society was locked down in the Covid pandemic’s first year, terror gripping communities worldwide.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Verb
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With his penchant for menacing models, black-out contact lenses and jutting shoulders, Owens is also a forever torchbearer for different kinds of beauty, and a safe haven for people who feel persecuted for being outside the norm.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
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The regimes that persecute religious minorities are also the ones that oppress women, LGBTQ people, journalists, and dissidents.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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