tormenting 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally it was a tormenting moment as they helplessly watched the other team score in the final seconds of the game

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2
as in torturing
intensely or unbearably painful a tormenting injury

Synonyms & Similar Words

tormenting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of torment
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tormenting
Verb
Aemond raves about his horrible older brother who spent their youth tormenting him. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 But your dad doesn’t need to be a celeb to enjoy the simple pleasures of tormenting him. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026 Rumor has it that Steve Spurrier could be the favorite, which would be hilarious given Spurrier's history of tormenting the Vols. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026 But the man hung himself, most likely due to Duncan tormenting him relentlessly like a jock pranking a nerd in an ‘80s campus comedy. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026 With the help of journalist Gerrick Kennedy, the memoir details Brandy's meteoric rise to fame as a young teen while volleying ambition, exhaustion and self-doubt, moving through a predatory and tormenting industry and being misunderstood in the public eye. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026 In another, more recent case, three Wyoming men were charged with tormenting a moose by trying to ride it. — Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026 Those mistakes neutralized some exciting attacking play from Austin FC, which spent the 90 minutes tormenting Minnesota United down the left flank. — David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026 While the dogs are now safe with foster families, Holmes faces multiple charges, including confining an animal without sufficient food or water, keeping animals in an enclosure without exercise or air, and tormenting or depriving an animal. — Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormenting
  1. painful
  2. wrenching
  3. plaguing
  4. cruel
  5. torturous
  6. persecuting
  7. harsh
  8. agonizing
Adjective
  • In a series of video interludes that break up the performance into acts, Grande plays Peaches, a woman who wants to undergo a procedure to erase her painful memories.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But any movement that engages her core muscles — bending, turning, stretching — is painful and debilitating.
    — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
  • Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
    — Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Verb
  • The change comes amid recent scorching temperatures plaguing Californians statewide — temperatures that can pose a threat to their health.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • This completely sidesteps current debates plaguing Medicare Part B — namely, rapidly mounting medication spending has driven higher premiums and out-of-pocket payments for beneficiaries.
    — Pooja Yerramilli, STAT, 24 July 2026
Definition of plaguing
Adjective
  • Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Obsessed with recovering her fortune, Magdalen’s uses of disguise and performance become manipulative, treacherous, and even cruel.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • From 1873 to 1991, the island served as Costa Rica’s principal penitentiary, where some of the country’s worst criminals were sent to serve often short and torturous sentences.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Hellraiser introduced audiences to the mythology of the Lament Configuration puzzle box, the home to a dimensional portal inhabited by the ritualistically torturous beings, the Cenobites, and their leader, the iconic Pinhead.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of torturous
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Adjective
  • In both premise and execution, the show is hugely reminiscent of the Showtime series of the aughts and early 2010s that featured women in harsh circumstances going to extremes in order to get one over on a society that didn’t care about them.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Although he would not be drawn on future product pricing, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are set for release in September and will be affected by the harsh trading conditions.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • But Semeru provides a crucial intimacy for Etna, whose experience of the war has been one of agonizing isolation.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Those looking to avoid an agonizing morning commute or a chaotic weekend trip to the city should steer clear of the following areas.
    — Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of agonizing

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tormenting
tormentor
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Cite this Entry

“Tormenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormenting. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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