1
as in nightmares
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distresses
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
3
as in demons
a source of persistent emotional distress
insomnia that was caused by a host of nighttime torments
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plagues
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 torments
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
The Grabber hounds Finn through an old phone booth and torments Gwen through her dreams.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
Scream With Me expands on this argument with its analysis of The Exorcist, a movie that Johnson interprets as a parable about physical abuse; its male demon torments and beats a single working mother and her child.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Hurricane Melissa torments Jamaica 'There have been loud bangs on the ceiling, and our doors are shaking.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
The Grabber hounds Finn through an old phone booth and torments Gwen through her dreams.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torments
Noun
-
Use of some fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, has also been linked with a higher risk of nightmares.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The medication is also sometimes prescribed for nightmares and other sleep disturbances caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the AP.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than rob the story of its teeth, this enabled me to explore the pain, loneliness and personal demons of my characters with sympathy rather than stinging bite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
When their biggest demonic enemy (Lee Byung-hun) encourages the formation of an equally popular K-pop boy band aimed at stealing the souls of their fans, the trio has to fight harder than ever to hold the demons at bay while keeping their friendship intact.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.—
Liam Adams,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The movie takes pains to illustrate how the possible end of the world will begin like any other day.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Colleagues who failed to take similar pains earned his everlasting disdain.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As with many of A24's horror movies, we're left to ponder whether anything supernatural happens as Maud's quest reaches its apotheosis, proving that fanatical belief is enough to inspire great terrors.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The internet gives us more opportunity to be exposed to noteworthy terrors from other countries.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This tale of a plausible viral apocalypse makes the case that true horrors can lurk just outside our view — and possibly within us all.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Pritam witnessed firsthand the horrors of Partition—communal riots forced her to migrate to India from Pakistan in 1947 with nothing but her two small children and a red shawl.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torments. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share