tor·ment
ˈtȯr-ˌment 
1
: extreme pain or anguish of body or mind : agony
She wrung her hands piteously together, looking like a soul in torment.—
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery2
: a source of vexation or pain
Love is a delight; but hate a torment.—Herman Melville
Herman Melville… the twin torments of his probable manic depression and chronic stomach pains.—Neal Karlen
Neal Karlen3
: the infliction of torture (as by rack or wheel)
tor·ment
tȯr-ˈment
ˈtȯr-ˌment
ˈtȯr-ˌment
tormented; tormenting; torments
1
: to cause severe usually persistent or recurrent distress of body or mind to
cattle tormented by flies
tormented by doubt
She liked me, but she laughed at me, and tormented me …—Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
tormented
adjective
… Emily—who is easily one of the most tormented characters of the show …
—Rowan Born
Rowan Born
The Witch makes the mundane sinister, from the tormented shapes of the corn husks in the field to the weird glow of pewter by candlelight.
—Katy Waldman
Katy Waldman
Synonyms
Examples of torment in a Sentence
Noun
No one could understand his inner torment.
After years of torment, she left her husband.
The mosquitoes were a constant torment.
Verb
Not knowing where she was tormented him.
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
Recent Examples on the WebStephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
As was the case with Celsius, a crypto exchange that went bust in 2022, the FTX customer statements tell tales of grievous loss and emotional torment.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
And even now, the authors of our torment remain unrepentant.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Coupled with his self-awareness, his enthusiasms prove an isolating torment.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
But what used to be a vexatious burden is now a source of daily torment.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2024
Visions of the afterlife were quite common in early Christian history, such as the fourth-century Apocalypse of Paul, which describes a river of fire and vivid torments that rival Owen’s in their level of graphic detail.
—Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
There’s a version where the communal heat rises, where every single body in the space experiences ecstasy, torment, rage, grief, and perhaps even a kind of catharsis — holds these things together, which is different than witnessing or contemplating them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2024
That tag, while technically a hint at sequels to come, is also a sign that just as the monster never truly goes away, neither does Koichi’s torment.
—Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
In many countries, a surge in inflation has tormented consumers and policymakers, but in Japan, which more often grappled with growth-sapping deflation, the recent rise in prices has been welcomed by most economists.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Merrick was doubly tormented by such mistreatment, as he was endowed with a sensitive personality and an artistic temperament.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Rodrigo was appropriately tormented singing these songs, but her ability to process her feelings so precisely is a special kind of strength.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2024
The performance of Nikolay Cherkasov, in the colossal and tormented title role, is one of the few in the history of cinema to rise to the level of history, period.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
After two weeks of release, the movie — a horror film about a woman who is tormented by her old teddy bear named Chauncey — has earned $19 million.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Patrolling soldiers here are often joined by settlers who have long tormented their Palestinian neighbors, said Issa Amro, Hebron’s most prominent activist.
—Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Captured by brigands, the immigrants are herded into a remote Libyan prison camp where they are tormented and tortured.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
Among all of its gruesome set pieces, culminating in Room 101 in the Ministry of Love, the novel’s most decisive act of torment is a simple glance in the mirror.
—Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
As was the case with Celsius, a crypto exchange that went bust in 2022, the FTX customer statements tell tales of grievous loss and emotional torment.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
And even now, the authors of our torment remain unrepentant.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Coupled with his self-awareness, his enthusiasms prove an isolating torment.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
But what used to be a vexatious burden is now a source of daily torment.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2024
Visions of the afterlife were quite common in early Christian history, such as the fourth-century Apocalypse of Paul, which describes a river of fire and vivid torments that rival Owen’s in their level of graphic detail.
—Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
There’s a version where the communal heat rises, where every single body in the space experiences ecstasy, torment, rage, grief, and perhaps even a kind of catharsis — holds these things together, which is different than witnessing or contemplating them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2024
That tag, while technically a hint at sequels to come, is also a sign that just as the monster never truly goes away, neither does Koichi’s torment.
—Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Verb
With the exception of one episode in which Rostov gets very sad about his predicament, he isn’t tormented, and the show around him matches his tone.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
In many countries, a surge in inflation has tormented consumers and policymakers, but in Japan, which more often grappled with growth-sapping deflation, the recent rise in prices has been welcomed by most economists.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Merrick was doubly tormented by such mistreatment, as he was endowed with a sensitive personality and an artistic temperament.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Rodrigo was appropriately tormented singing these songs, but her ability to process her feelings so precisely is a special kind of strength.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2024
The performance of Nikolay Cherkasov, in the colossal and tormented title role, is one of the few in the history of cinema to rise to the level of history, period.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
After two weeks of release, the movie — a horror film about a woman who is tormented by her old teddy bear named Chauncey — has earned $19 million.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Patrolling soldiers here are often joined by settlers who have long tormented their Palestinian neighbors, said Issa Amro, Hebron’s most prominent activist.
—Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Captured by brigands, the immigrants are herded into a remote Libyan prison camp where they are tormented and tortured.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'torment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French turment, torment, from Latin tormentum torture; akin to torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of torment was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing torment
Dictionary Entries Near torment
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torment. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
torment
1 of 2 noun
tor·ment
ˈtȯr-ˌment
1
: extreme pain or distress of body or mind
2
: a cause of suffering in mind or body
More from Merriam-Webster on torment
Nglish: Translation of torment for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of torment for Arabic Speakers
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