1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind
spent an afternoon in torture waiting to hear whether her brother had made it home safely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torture
Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
In later years, Johnson said the experience was torture.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 May 2025
Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2025
The older child was torturing his younger brother, and, by smiling when told to stop by his mother, showed callousness and lack of remorse.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
But fighting had broken out across Sudan, and reports of atrocities were filtering in from the countryside: mass rapes, mass executions, torture.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
In later years, Johnson said the experience was torture.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 May 2025
Verb
Most directors are tortured by their movies and exhausted, and have to check themselves into clinics to sleep.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2025
The older child was torturing his younger brother, and, by smiling when told to stop by his mother, showed callousness and lack of remorse.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
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Saving him and others is their work Pratt & Whitney union votes to approve new contract, end strike Private equity created a ‘nightmare’ in CT hospitals, staff say.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare.—
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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At this point in the narrative, when Mike is sentenced to 14 months jail time, more conventional addiction dramas would dig into the trauma of incarceration and the agony of substance withdrawal.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
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One young man described the particular agony of being placed carelessly in a wheelchair and forced to sit for hours atop his testicles.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
Verb
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In a region plagued by foreign interference and democratic decline, Traoré's message resonates with disillusioned youth.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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To top it off, an air traffic control meltdown plagued Newark Liberty International Airport for weeks after staffing shortages and technology outages caused hours-long delays.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
The cell phone camera has become both the tool humans use to perform and the reason that performance distorts even further in the eyes of others.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
21 May 2025
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Unfortunately, this racial lens merely distorts the rivalry narrative, transforming what should be celebrated as an engaging competitive dynamic into something unnecessarily contentious.—
Lindsey Darvin,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The Best Clothing Box Photograph: Stitch Fix Stitch Fix Kids Clothes Box $16 Stitch Fix As my kids have gotten older, shopping for their clothes has become a misery.—
Adrienne So,
Wired News,
17 May 2025
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The value of the Syrian currency plummeted during the civil war years, adding to the misery.—
Raja Abdulrahim,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
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The organization provides up to eight free mental health and counseling sessions to youth and their families who have experienced gun violence, abuse or emotional distress.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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Noumea’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre notified Carnival Splendor about a distress call from a catamaran while the ship was traveling south of New Caledonia on Thursday, according to a news release.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Some of the journalists who were terminated on Thursday were from countries with repressive governments that persecute journalists for independent reporting, Mr. Abramowitz said in the email to employees on Thursday.—
Minho Kim,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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According to tradition, Peter traveled to Rome to spread the Christian message and was martyred there during the reign of the Emperor Nero, around 64 A.D., as Christians were being persecuted.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2025
Noun
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His independent investigations lead him to a supernatural serial killer (Harry Treadaway), who will seemingly stop at nothing to torment Hodges.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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Speaking from her clients’ experiences and her own, Rosenbluth recognized the way these influencers’ cruel messages often directly echo the internal torment of people with eating disorders.—
Oona Hanson,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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