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
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
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Recent Examples of tortured
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
The show, which was previously called Maud and has rolled cameras in London, is based on the short story collections by Swedish writer Helene Tursten and follows Maud Oldcastle, an old killer with a tortured past.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 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
Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Malek refused Alsheikh’s demand to poison the prominent political figure, leading to him being placed in Wing 13, a notorious part of the prison where people were tortured.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Trier's film deals with memory, both actual and transformed through art into something representing memory, as Gustav (Skarsgård) seeks to make a film inspired by the life of his mother, who was tortured by the Nazis and later committed suicide.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Within hours, Ruis had beaten and tortured Yates to death.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Many of the men had been beaten, while women were raped and children were tortured.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
His fourth attempt was foiled when he was arrested at the airport and detained and tortured for several months.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The former soldier also said Haitian police mentally and physically tortured the Colombian suspects after they were taken into custody.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Over the years, those proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and more have murdered, raped, tortured and kidnapped thousands.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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
The show, which was previously called Maud and has rolled cameras in London, is based on the short story collections by Swedish writer Helene Tursten and follows Maud Oldcastle, an old killer with a tortured past.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 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
Other leaders were tortured, and a couple sent to prison.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Malek refused Alsheikh’s demand to poison the prominent political figure, leading to him being placed in Wing 13, a notorious part of the prison where people were tortured.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Trier's film deals with memory, both actual and transformed through art into something representing memory, as Gustav (Skarsgård) seeks to make a film inspired by the life of his mother, who was tortured by the Nazis and later committed suicide.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Within hours, Ruis had beaten and tortured Yates to death.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Many of the men had been beaten, while women were raped and children were tortured.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
His fourth attempt was foiled when he was arrested at the airport and detained and tortured for several months.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The former soldier also said Haitian police mentally and physically tortured the Colombian suspects after they were taken into custody.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Over the years, those proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and more have murdered, raped, tortured and kidnapped thousands.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Verb
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In the wake of 9/11, anti-immigrant sentiments were on the rise, LGBTQ+ minorities were being persecuted, and new technological advancements threatened to wreak havoc on the world.—
Matthew Huff,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Chandler framed himself as an alienated artist persecuted by arbitrary strictures.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ogalla said she was targeted by six mailings from Gallagher’s campaign that distorted her voting record, especially on property taxes and her efforts to reduce truck traffic.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In his weekly newsletter, Johnson outlined his most detailed case yet for studying whether Dallas should move City Hall, saying speculation and sensational coverage have distorted the debate.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Demary’s mere appearance in uniform provided a spark, a lightening of the burden for his teammates, who’d been mired in a shooting slump and plagued by turnovers.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
-
She was plagued with all manner of rashes, sores and ulcers.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 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
-
Washington — The stalemate in Washington, DC over funding the Department of Homeland Security has led to hourslong airport security lines and frustrated travelers, but now passengers could see some airports closed altogether, the Transportation Security Administration is warning.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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As Dallas officials prepared to debate City Hall’s future, a commercial real estate broker helping analyze relocation options grew frustrated when his firm was not allowed to compete for the work.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The disease afflicted homosexuals, Haitians, haemophiliacs and heroin addicts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The Warriors are now 5-11 without Steph Curry, who sat courtside while afflicted with runner’s knee, and losers of four in a row.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 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
-
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 24 Mar. 2026.
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