1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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 torture
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
The bizarre tale of six humans trapped in a psychedelic VR torture experiment has inspired terabytes of fan fiction and theories.
—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2026
ABC News,
15 June 2026
And in today's world, with the advent of cyberbullying, thanks to every kid having a digital footprint, a child can be tortured without even seeing their bully face-to-face.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
The killings were engineered to terrify the remaining Poles into fleeing westward, so extensive documentation was spread of the accompanying torture and mutilation.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
The bizarre tale of six humans trapped in a psychedelic VR torture experiment has inspired terabytes of fan fiction and theories.
—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2026
Verb
Last year, a German court sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for torture and war crimes in his Syrian homeland on Monday for killing two people and torturing nine in Syria between 2011 and 2012.
—
ABC News,
15 June 2026
And in today's world, with the advent of cyberbullying, thanks to every kid having a digital footprint, a child can be tortured without even seeing their bully face-to-face.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
-
Throw in an undercover mission to catch a mall theft ring and Riley’s got herself a true nightmare before Christmas.
-
What initially seems like the perfect place for a rescue mission quickly turns into a nightmare.
Noun
-
The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
-
Or at least movies about soccer can, engaging with themes of race and gender, ego, hubris, economics, politics, fandom, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat — as well as, of course, unadulterated athleticism.
Verb
-
The high school exam board, CBSE, has faced public outrage over an electronic marking system plagued with technical glitches, during which students said answers were wrongly marked or, in some cases, answer sheets were omitted entirely.
-
The department said that all reopenings of the Reflecting Pool have been plagued by algae blooms and that vacuuming up the algae would take a couple of days.
Verb
-
This disciplined recovery is vital in areas such as forecasting, where flawed workflows can distort decisions far beyond finance.
-
The biggest concern are realistic-looking visuals that subtly distort scientific details while remaining believable enough to pass initial review.
Noun
-
The episodes seemed to wallow in Carmy’s misery, along with the frustrations of everyone around him.
-
That’s a recipe for in-flight misery.
Noun
-
The Hoffmans are suing Boelter for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
-
Not to mention smoking hot Hart Bochner as the himbo-in-distress.
Verb
-
Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
-
It's partially inspired by director Benjamin Christensen's research on the German text Malleus Maleficarum, a guide to witchcraft for inquisitors looking to persecute its perpetrators.
Verb
-
The breeze was screwing with the sound system, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
-
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 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
