tormentor

noun

tor·​men·​tor tȯr-ˈmen-tər  ˈtȯr-ˌmen- 

variants or less commonly tormenter

1

: one that torments

2

: a fixed curtain or flat on each side of a theater stage that prevents the audience from seeing into the wings

Synonyms

• baiter
• harasser
• heckler
• mocker
• needler
• persecutor
• quiz
• quizzer
• ridiculer
• taunter
• tease
• teaser
• torturer

Examples of tormentor in a Sentence

shocked by the news that his chief tormentor from elementary school had written a book about the dangers of bullying

Recent Examples on the Web

Outside of the juggernaut that is the Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the Denver Nuggets, a long-time tormentor, the Lakers have fared well against the rest of the conference over the past two seasons. —Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

The house thrums with a palpable evil that infects its inhabitants, not only tormenting them but turning them into tormentors. —Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025

In Game 4, the Yankees had Boston’s 1978 tormentor, Bucky Dent, throw out the ceremonial first pitch. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2024

Syrians used that same border to flee the ever-expanding roster of tormentors. —Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tormentor

• dissenter
• indenter
• inventor
• precentor
• preventer
• center
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• tenter
• epicenter