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
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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torments
Noun
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The combination of DePrimeo and Rotondi simply overpowered Masco (3-1), and that duo is bound to cause nightmares for opposing lines all season.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025 -
Having your mouth taped shut is the stuff of nightmares — but some people are doing just that to themselves.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents and return to the normal world.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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The Encore spans two decades, beginning at a prestigious Boston conservatory in 2003, where readers meet a future indie rock star who will spend the subsequent years trying to outrun her demons, per Izon.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His voice already had that staticky, far-away quality that plagues international calls, which made Nakia fear he was gone for good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
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Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
For many, the virus results in flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, per the CDC.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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In April, 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise, a Haitian, died while being held at GEO’s Pompano Beach facility after complaining of chest pains.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Repression, self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, jealousy, emotional abuse, and even allusions to grooming, among other terrors of the fog, keep the tensions high from start to finish.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
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Fletcher, who has been touring a number of the world’s hot spots, used his first trip to Haiti to meet with victims of the gangs’ terrors.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, no medication has succeeded in stopping or reversing the disease that afflicts more than 7 million Americans, a number projected to reach almost 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the space of two years Neon has boarded four films by Oz Perkins, including box office hit Longlegs, The Monkey, and upcoming horrors The Keeper and The Young People.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
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Despite Atsu’s scary reputation and the horrors of its world, Yōtei is softer and more sensitive than Tsushima.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Torments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torments. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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