1
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
2
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
1
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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2
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torture
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Congo accused Rwanda of breaching international conventions on genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women and torture.
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Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
Additionally, Protestant and Catholic clergy have been imprisoned or tortured.
—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
Decades after torture allegations were first leveled against former Chicago police Cmdr.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Congo accused Rwanda of breaching international conventions on genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women and torture.
—
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
Verb
This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
Additionally, Protestant and Catholic clergy have been imprisoned or tortured.
—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
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Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
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From dream home to disaster But faster than a rushing river, that dream became a nightmare when disastrous flooding hit Kerr County last summer.
Noun
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Adding to Rezaeian’s agony, right before the final whistle another potential clincher, a header from Khalilzadeh, hit the crossbar.
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The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
Verb
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Andrew Harnik | Getty Images A rocky start The anniversary rollout has also been plagued by problems on the ground.
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In the 30 years following the tune’s release, disappointment has only continued to plague the Three Lions.
Verb
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Slow-motion replays and still images distort the offending player’s actions, with innocuous tackles looking more serious.
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Any whack job with a phone can distort reality, and that’s not helpful.
Noun
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The Charlotte region will start feeling like a frying pan come Wednesday, and forecasters expect the sticky misery to linger into next week.
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But the misery of the heat would add to the story told over natural wine at a bar back home.
Noun
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Watch closely for signs of heat distress in yourself and others, including your neighbors and the elderly, Delaney said.
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Never upside down — The flag should never be displayed upside down except as a signal of distress.
Verb
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The Washington Principles also recognize that many sales of artwork by Jews during the Nazi era occurred while they were being persecuted, or under duress.
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Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted.
Verb
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The breeze was screwing with the sound system, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
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Either Cody or Gunther wins because Sami gets screwed; Zayn will then further descend into madness and attack someone after the bell.
Cite this Entry
“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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