1
as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
the released soldiers gave interviews trying to explain to civilians the torment that prisoners of war experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
was in torment for weeks after he broke up with his girlfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torment
Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
The crew arrives only to find the hellish torments that have plagued Captain Kilpack and the first crew that disappeared for seven years.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Andy Jones, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Chaisson tormented him all practice, starting with a clean win in 1-on-1 pass rush, then two sacks over a four-play span in team periods.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
The physical evidence strongly suggested that rather than hiking across a blazing desert after enduring weeks of torment, Aimee had gotten out of a car and walked a short distance to be discovered.
—Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
The crew arrives only to find the hellish torments that have plagued Captain Kilpack and the first crew that disappeared for seven years.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Verb
This isn’t a youngster dribbling down blind alleys to try to impress; this is a winger tormenting defenders with trickery, pace and purpose.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Chaisson tormented him all practice, starting with a clean win in 1-on-1 pass rush, then two sacks over a four-play span in team periods.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
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For many, the relationship with tequila ended in their early 20s with promises made to some dormitory deity — often made of porcelain — to end a miserable night’s agony.—
Todd Harmonson,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
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My wing-scarfing strategy was to plow through as many as possible before the agony set in, then survive the remainder without committing the day-ruining error of touching my eyes.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The strains on international enrollment only add to distress for schools already on the financial brink.—
Collin Binkley,
Fortune,
30 Aug. 2025
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Extreme emotional distress can produce a heart attack, which is not a symptom of emotional distress.—
Robert W. Wood,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The creatures are usually found hanging from phones or handbags—tiny demons haunting our accessories—or clutched as a kind of pet.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
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In a world of student loans and ever-increasing housing costs, the notion of devoting all of your time to obsessing over the meaning of nineteenth-century poetry does indeed feel like more of a fantasy than witchcraft or demons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Anto, a Parisian cop of Corsican origin, swore as a child to his brother – killed in a vendetta – to break the cycle of vengeance that has plagued their family for generations.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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Considering the supply chain disruptions that have plagued the retail industry since April 2, stores have a greater need for inventory while manufacturers have often found themselves with goods—particularly of the seasonal variety—that arrived too late and are no longer needed.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sure to rattle the cages of our Puritanical nightmare country.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Alongside the grief and pain, his return provides some comfort to the family after 692 days of waiting in the nightmare of uncertainty.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
By stimulating the tissues under the skin, PEMF therapy helps to alleviate the pain and stiffness associated with prolonged sitting.—
Michelle Stansbury,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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One of my greatest wins was a woman who had been on pain medication since 1985.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Aggressive lending even allowed the housing market to brush off the 9/11 terror attacks and the dot-com stock crash as the 2000s began.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 Aug. 2025
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The diagnosis is essentially a long list of separate but simultaneous developments that collectively upset the relatively simple balance of terror that stabilized the late Cold War.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Foucault, a gay man who died of AIDS, was hardly unaware that people are sometimes persecuted and even killed for their sexuality.—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Open Doors is a global organization that supports and speaks up for Christians persecuted for their faith.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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