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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Hunter Biden is mixing it up with admirers and critics on social media, while Jill Biden is rehashing the tortured saga of the last presidential race in a new memoir.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
While staying faithful to the gothic tone and thrust of the story, the second book in the series once again turned the narrative in on itself by front-loading the perspective of chaos personified, Louis’ tortured and torturous lover, Lestat de Lioncourt.
—Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
The track is bookended by audio of a woman who sells plasma to fund her shopping addiction, a parallel to Skeletrix’s depiction of his plight as a tortured artist.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The report contains nearly 300 pages documenting mass rape, tortured families, mutilation of bodies and murder.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
But it was denounced in others after a group of Iraqi artists pulled out of the show, protesting a French artist’s work that featured graphic images of tortured Abu Ghraib detainees.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 May 2026
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 8 June 2026
Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
The story of Alabama's congressional map is long and tortured.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 2 June 2026
One man might describe how he was tortured as a prisoner of war, or another might recall the day his brother was hauled away from their home, never to be seen again.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
You’d get tortured or killed for just expressing yourself.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
Tursun, 36, told us that her newborn son — one of triplets — had been killed by the Chinese Communist Party and that she was tortured in internment camps.
—Michael Arkush, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
Ravelo was the leader and organizer of invitation-only internet groups dedicated to the sharing and discussion of videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and tortured, the DOJ said in a statement.
—Sofia Saric
may 24, Miami Herald, 24 May 2026
Li is magnificently photographed throughout and is as alluring as the part demands, but Cat has no evident personality — nor does Flint, leaving Huston playing emotionally tortured but with no meaningful underpinnings.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Adjective
In a feature published today, deputy executive editor Yoni Appelbaum examines the tortured debate—inside and outside the academy—over how to tell the American story.
—The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Hunter Biden is mixing it up with admirers and critics on social media, while Jill Biden is rehashing the tortured saga of the last presidential race in a new memoir.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
While staying faithful to the gothic tone and thrust of the story, the second book in the series once again turned the narrative in on itself by front-loading the perspective of chaos personified, Louis’ tortured and torturous lover, Lestat de Lioncourt.
—Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
The track is bookended by audio of a woman who sells plasma to fund her shopping addiction, a parallel to Skeletrix’s depiction of his plight as a tortured artist.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The report contains nearly 300 pages documenting mass rape, tortured families, mutilation of bodies and murder.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
But it was denounced in others after a group of Iraqi artists pulled out of the show, protesting a French artist’s work that featured graphic images of tortured Abu Ghraib detainees.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 May 2026
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
During similar unrest last year, several officers were abducted and tortured after being taken captive.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
The story of Alabama's congressional map is long and tortured.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 2 June 2026
One man might describe how he was tortured as a prisoner of war, or another might recall the day his brother was hauled away from their home, never to be seen again.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
You’d get tortured or killed for just expressing yourself.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
Tursun, 36, told us that her newborn son — one of triplets — had been killed by the Chinese Communist Party and that she was tortured in internment camps.
—Michael Arkush, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
Ravelo was the leader and organizer of invitation-only internet groups dedicated to the sharing and discussion of videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and tortured, the DOJ said in a statement.
—Sofia Saric
may 24, Miami Herald, 24 May 2026
Li is magnificently photographed throughout and is as alluring as the part demands, but Cat has no evident personality — nor does Flint, leaving Huston playing emotionally tortured but with no meaningful underpinnings.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Adjective
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Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
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For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The Lieser family of Jewish industrialists was persecuted by the Nazis, including being imprisoned, and lost almost all their possessions to Nazi seizure.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
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Family members and friends were persecuted, arrested, and killed.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Presumably they’re distorted reflections of other humans.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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As the disease progresses, plant growth may be stunted and infected plant parts become distorted.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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The experience left her frustrated.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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It's not intended as a relief valve for frustrated I-70 travelers.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The new officers will take their leadership positions amid strength in Tyson Foods’ chicken and prepared foods segments, while the beef segment has been plagued by multi-million dollar operating losses.—
Dylan Sherman,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2026
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In Seasons 1-4, that vicar is Sidney Chambers (James Norton), a jazz enthusiast plagued by memories of WWII who offers unsolicited insights to gruff and initially ungrateful Det.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Bathed in sunlight, deformed by the wide angle shot, there was our living room.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
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Weakened by a brief-but-corrosive bath of sulfuric acid droplets during its plunge, the probe would’ve inevitably deformed and ruptured upon reaching the ground.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Projects will be judged on several criteria, including the project’s creativity and the use of tested and accurate AI.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
4 Sep. 2025
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Every batch of ice cream, even those with tested and confirmed recipes, requires a lot of tasting and adjusting.—
Maggie Hiufu Wong,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Raspberries are also afflicted with several viruses that can cause plants to decline and ruin the fruit.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
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Losses from cattle afflicted by the parasite could run into the billions of dollars, with larger effects across the American economy, according to USDA estimates.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortured. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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