1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
relatives had to make the torturous decision to disconnect the patient's life-support system
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2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the post-infection treatment for rabies was as notoriously torturous as the disease itself
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torturous
Look no further than last season, during Nick and Hannah’s torturous engagement.
—
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025
Pair this struggle with the painstaking awareness that sleep is essential for your daily functioning, and sleep deprivation can quickly become maddening — or even torturous.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
But the stubborn Pharaoh continued his torturous ways.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
The Bruins keep finding new, torturous ways to lose hockey games.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025
Pair this struggle with the painstaking awareness that sleep is essential for your daily functioning, and sleep deprivation can quickly become maddening — or even torturous.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
But the stubborn Pharaoh continued his torturous ways.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
The Bruins keep finding new, torturous ways to lose hockey games.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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The alternative — a world in which the United States and China no longer engage in trade — could be economically painful and destabilizing.—
Alan Rappeport,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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Appearance: The condition starts as small, extremely painful blisters on your shins (and sometimes your arms).—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
This garment gets exposed to harsher conditions than most clothing.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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From adorable accents to cozy touches, drivers are increasingly looking for ways to make their commutes and grocery runs just a bit more enjoyable—perhaps to offset the harsh reality of gas prices (and everything else).—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
Bear markets can be agonizing, but overall, markets are positive more often than not.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
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But most of the buzz centers on the will-they-won’t-they romance of Staten (Duhamel) and Quinn (Kelly), who is agonizing over whether to leave Texas behind to pursue her musical dreams in New York.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This dynamic has created a cruel catch-22 which forces an impossible choice: register and risk immediate deportation, or refuse and become criminalized for noncompliance, destroying any path to legal status.—
Kica Matos,
Time,
2 May 2025
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But Church, who was profoundly affected by the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville, imbues a real fear of what’s possibly around the corner in today’s cruel world.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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After an excruciating wait, the parole board came back with a decision.—
Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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In his memoir My Next Breath, released April 29, the Oscar nominee detailed the January 2023 experience in excruciating detail.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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In the game, the station is in the bright sunlight, and the subway tunnel experience takes a lot longer, and isn’t quite as intense.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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And, George, Elon Musk told reporters this week it's been a very intense 100 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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