TORTURE Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'torture' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of torture are afflict , rack , torment , and try . While all these words mean "to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear," torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering. // tortured by a sense of guilt

Q: When is it sensible to use 'afflict' instead of 'torture'?

While the synonyms afflict and torture are close in meaning, afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress. // ills that afflict the elderly

Q: When would 'rack' be a good substitute for 'torture'?

The words rack and torture are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rack stresses straining or wrenching. // a body racked by pain

Q: In what contexts can 'torment' take the place of 'torture'?

The synonyms torment and torture are sometimes interchangeable, but torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance. // a horse tormented by flies

Q: Where would 'try' be a reasonable alternative to 'torture'?

The meanings of try and torture largely overlap; however, try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control. // children often try their parents' patience

torture 1 of 2

noun

ˈtȯr-chər

Definition of torture

as in nightmare

a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness it's torture for me to see you so unhappy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in agony

a state of great suffering of body or mind spent an afternoon in torture waiting to hear whether her brother had made it home safely

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

torture

2 of 2

verb

as in to plague

to cause persistent suffering to the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to distort

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition tortured her naturally straight hair into curls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word torture different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of torture are afflict, rack, torment, and try. While all these words mean "to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear," torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

When is it sensible to use afflict instead of torture?

While the synonyms afflict and torture are close in meaning, afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

When would rack be a good substitute for torture?

The words rack and torture are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

In what contexts can torment take the place of torture?

The synonyms torment and torture are sometimes interchangeable, but torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

Where would try be a reasonable alternative to torture?

The meanings of try and torture largely overlap; however, try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

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 torture

Noun

Gershkovich was not subject to beatings, solitary confinement, or torture. — Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026 Additional photography took place earlier this year after Abrams finished another one-man torture exercise, Resident Evil, with Duffield’s friend and Siren Head collaborator, Zach Cregger. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Verb

The back half of the track, downcast and tortured, evokes the operatic desolation of Waiting-era Thursday. — Nick Laskin, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026 The final bit, where Homer allows himself to be tortured so his son can graduate at the top of his class, is sweet, though. — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for torture

Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture

Noun

Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.

— Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
At the dawn of the twentieth century, fears of food scarcity were a rational nightmare.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of nightmare

Noun

The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of agony

Verb

Minnesota lawmakers with broad bipartisan support this year approved a new watchdog agency tasked with fighting fraud that's plagued social services programs in the state for years.

— Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Previous administrations have been plagued by poor accountability on large-ticket projects, a problem the president’s critics say remains the case under Tinubu.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

However, attaching a metal wire directly to the delicate plasma filament would distort its structure.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
Americans may disagree on solutions, but many share the belief that financial incentives have distorted the system beyond recognition.

— Scott Levenson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of distort

Noun

Adding to the misery, Jason Sanders — a longtime Dolphins kicker in his first season with the Jets — hit the right upright on a 40-yard try.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
With Dunham as creator, showrunner and star, the original series ran from 2012 to 2017 and followed a group of friends through the misery and dysfunction of their 20s in New York City.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of misery

Noun

The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
CoreWeave, the leader of the pack, has seen spreads on its CDS widen past 11%, generally viewed as a distress level, as investors have to pay up for protection against default.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of distress

Verb

During this same time his father had vanished behind the Bamboo Curtain and was almost certainly persecuted, possibly even murdered, by the same Communists that Hoover claimed to be fighting.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

Slide that bit in and simply hold it to the screw head, and the driver then uses its powered head to screw or unscrew it.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
These are games with names that have become synonymous with the sport, but lately, our corporate overlords have decided to screw with another tradition that is nearly universally loved by college fans.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of screw

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“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of torture

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verb

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