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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in torturing
intensely or unbearably painful
a tormenting injury
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of tormenting
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
The self-torturing helices of thought twisting inside the young minds on the courts are no less fraught than the recursive neuroses tormenting the addicts down the hill.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The Chargers largely shut them down on offense, but New England was able to cobble together three field goals and a touchdown by tight end Hunter Henry, who, in a tormenting twist, began his career with the Chargers.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
The self-torturing helices of thought twisting inside the young minds on the courts are no less fraught than the recursive neuroses tormenting the addicts down the hill.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The Chargers largely shut them down on offense, but New England was able to cobble together three field goals and a touchdown by tight end Hunter Henry, who, in a tormenting twist, began his career with the Chargers.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormenting
Adjective
-
The core characters Each character came into their own during the series, sometimes in emotionally painful ways.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
Hidden inside those numbers is a long and painful history.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
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
Verb
-
For many years, both NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos have struggled to contain persistent leaks plaguing the International Space Station.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
-
His £55million move to Newcastle from Brentford last summer has proven disastrous so far, with injuries plaguing him and only three goals all season.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the simple story — written by Jordan Tannahill, who adapted his own book, and directed by Janicza Bravo — illustrates various destructive choices and cruel actions ostensibly driven by love.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
-
Here is the part that feels especially cruel.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Good luck—these tiny, torturous bugs seem to be hard to dispose of, but there is a way to lure them in and disable them.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Shinnecock Hills is full of triangles — sneaky but massive, and always torturous triangles.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
Ahead of the holiday, the City of Rancho Cordova is cracking down with much harsher penalties.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Members of his party who want even harsher border controls have splintered off to form Restore Britain, which has gained support from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is vociferously backing it on his X platform.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Gruesome as his actions might be, they were done in the hope of sparing a child from an even more agonizing end.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Settling on Heise, Pannek and Rooney as the first three players to protect was agonizing, Caruso and Klee said.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tormenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormenting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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