as in tormented
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1
as in persecuted
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 distorted
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Recent Examples of tortured
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Look, credit where credit is due, the man is good at a tortured love confession!
—Christina Grace Tucker, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
According to Deadline, Charli will be possessed by a violent, tortured spirit in director Takashi Miike’s upcoming untitled slasher-horror film that is scheduled to start filming in Japan next month; the role was previously reported, but the details about the plot are new.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
One of the mansion’s signature characters is, aptly, a tortured bride.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Trapped there, Goggins manifests both versions of his character at once, flickering between flashbacks of the steady Cooper and the present-day, tortured Ghoul.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Schiller was tortured endlessly.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Joel, an activist who worked with unions and student groups, had been tortured by Guatemala City police.
—Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Deputies said the animals were tortured, mutilated, kept in coops with dead birds and live plucked.
—Timia Cobb, Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Elias and Gibbs tortured the teen after becoming upset with her for sending inappropriate text messages to teenage boys, according to prosecutors.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The North Vietnamese, who beat and tortured the younger McCain, also offered him early release because of his famous father.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
The house of another, Carlotta Walls, was bombed a month before her graduation, and the police subsequently tortured her father in an unsuccessful attempt to coerce a confession.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Bundy tortured, raped and killed dozens of young women in more than half a dozen states in the 1970s.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Look, credit where credit is due, the man is good at a tortured love confession!
—Christina Grace Tucker, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
According to Deadline, Charli will be possessed by a violent, tortured spirit in director Takashi Miike’s upcoming untitled slasher-horror film that is scheduled to start filming in Japan next month; the role was previously reported, but the details about the plot are new.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
One of the mansion’s signature characters is, aptly, a tortured bride.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Trapped there, Goggins manifests both versions of his character at once, flickering between flashbacks of the steady Cooper and the present-day, tortured Ghoul.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Two others who authorities say have tortured their children await their courtroom fates after being hit with dozens of abuse counts.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Schiller was tortured endlessly.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Joel, an activist who worked with unions and student groups, had been tortured by Guatemala City police.
—Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Deputies said the animals were tortured, mutilated, kept in coops with dead birds and live plucked.
—Timia Cobb, Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Elias and Gibbs tortured the teen after becoming upset with her for sending inappropriate text messages to teenage boys, according to prosecutors.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The North Vietnamese, who beat and tortured the younger McCain, also offered him early release because of his famous father.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
The house of another, Carlotta Walls, was bombed a month before her graduation, and the police subsequently tortured her father in an unsuccessful attempt to coerce a confession.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Bundy tortured, raped and killed dozens of young women in more than half a dozen states in the 1970s.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Verb
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The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.—
James Stout,
Outside,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Objects were frequently distorted or missing key components.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
One slide showed the Pirates of the Caribbean alum on a FaceTime call with Daisy, whose face was distorted by a funny filter and framed by blonde side bangs.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whereas Phoebe lacks inhibitions, Valerie is plagued by them, and the contrasting sitcom formats of Friends (multi-cam) and The Comeback (mockumentary) call for totally different performance styles.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Lack of depth also plagued — a contrast from last year, when the four-line threat was huge.—
Greg Cote
April 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The mountains themselves are too deformed to hold hydrocarbons.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Hadi tells an engaging story, brings complex and surprising characters to life, lends a locale an aesthetic iconography, and renders personal identity inextricable from the forces of history that shaped or deformed it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Elizabeth Banks is Lindy Littlejohn, a seriously frustrated writer, unhappily if tumultuously married to Les (Matthew Macfadyen), a brilliant scientist.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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But for everything Gates said that might appeal to a frustrated Democrat like me, his Huntington Beach braggadocio continually won out.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It is usually only afflicted by slugs, which can be easily managed, or crown rot due to overwatering.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
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In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Egon Schiele’s show at the Neue Galerie suggests that the artist’s raw, contorted depictions of the body were influenced by a formative relationship with a doctor.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
19 Mar. 2026
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Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortured. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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