as in tormented
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Verb
-
But the excitement over defeating the evil scientists and saving the damsel is distorted by the sound of Gemma’s distressed cries.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025 -
An immigration surge prior to last year’s homeless count likely distorted the picture of homelessness in the country, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of research by University of Pennsylvania professor Dennis Culhane, a leading national expert on homelessness.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Ringo was yellow submarines and octopus gardens, the mascot little brother, despite being the eldest Beatle, and the best at flittering above the feuds that afflicted the trio of geniuses around him.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Unfortunately, this fresh ailment has afflicted him for the majority of his 2024-25 run.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Rattan watched as Homa hit ball after ball, growing only more and more frustrated.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
Grungy yet melodic, the track is about wanting to start over and feeling frustrated with your current situation.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
In recent months, the Kennedy Center has been besieged by performance cancelations both voluntary and involuntary.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
-
At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The ball curled through the proverbial eye of a needle, between Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, and behind Alexis Mac Allister, who was forced to spin on his heels.—
Laurie Whitwell,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
-
The old woman, though, stares at the screen, the shadow of a smile curled into her lips and a frown barely creasing her forehead.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Astrophotographers used a tried and tested technique: framing foreground objects in front of the moon and zooming in on both subjects using a long lens.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 May 2025
-
The End Kidney Deaths Act finally offers a tested and reasonable solution.—
Lindsay Gutierrez,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The teenager, whose identity officials did not reveal, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with aggravated arson, arson, and hindering apprehension, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
2 May 2025
-
Revill was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and given a life sentence in 2019.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For most of her career, and certainly since her portrayal of the harried, unglamorous sketch-show head writer Liz Lemon in 30 Rock coincided with the rise of pop feminism in the late aughts, her every plot and utterance has been widely scrutinized.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
1 May 2025
-
The staff is mutually supportive, in a harried way, but the work is relentless: There is too much, and then there’s one more thing and then there’s a mass shooting at a downtown festival and the doors blow open.—
James Poniewozik,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Tortured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortured. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share