torture 1 of 2

torture

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verb

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
At other times, a conversation can feel like medieval torture. Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 1 Oct. 2025 According to Buenos Aires provincial security minister Javier Alonso, their torture and murder was broadcast live through a private social media group to around 45 people. Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Pike brutally beat, cut and tortured Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student at the Knoxville Job Corps, along with two others in 1995. Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025 Freites said she was tortured and raped in Colombia and her father and 8-month-old baby killed. Gisela Salomon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
  • Penn State’s season turns into a nightmare This is an unfathomable result for the Nittany Lions, who just eight days ago were considered national championship contenders.
    Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • But, for the region, the two-year nightmare may finally be nearing an end.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Safdie may have found a new way to make a sports drama, one that relies less on the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and more on all that is contained in the ambivalent middle.
    Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Lessing expresses no regret or agony at her childhood actions, or at what happens next.
    Rebecca van Laer September 30, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Pearsall appeared to have reaggravated his knee injury that was plaguing him all week, and he was pulled from the game.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The key race heats up as instances of violence continue to plague the Big Apple.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The impermanence of our digital footprint, especially in this age of AI scraping and incomplete catalog streaming, is distorting our story.
    Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Some slot right in; others distort and cramp.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The ongoing misery in Charlotte prompted a popular Panthers-centric podcast to throw in the towel.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But aid agencies say that Israel’s intensification of the war, particularly around Gaza City, has compounded the misery faced by Palestinians.
    Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Get alerts if the system detects acute distress.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Just continue to watch for any signs of distress, and if something else develops, see a vet.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.
    Fatma Tanis, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Leatherface attacks, but the real villains turn out to be the townsfolk who persecuted the Sawyers after the original massacre.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Both have magnets screwed to one end for attaching the corresponding front or top panel, and both are filled with a multi-spaced bracket for installing 120mm to 200mm fans.
    Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
  • And screw Dalot for that bad pass.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on torture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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