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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Recent Examples of torturous
Minuscule, meticulous, torturous, and incomprehensible to most mortals.
—
Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Harper's Magazine, 22 July 2024
Another year, another torturous Saturday Night Live episode for Colin Jost.
—EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Previously, when companies came to the government to request data access, there was a torturous process of approvals.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Dec. 2024
His other contributions of 7, 5, 11 and 3 have been hard to watch for their torturous uncertainty.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for torturous 
Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Harper's Magazine, 22 July 2024
Another year, another torturous Saturday Night Live episode for Colin Jost.
—EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Previously, when companies came to the government to request data access, there was a torturous process of approvals.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Dec. 2024
His other contributions of 7, 5, 11 and 3 have been hard to watch for their torturous uncertainty.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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An ultimate taboo, disclosing the impulse to kill one's child must be an unthinkably painful admission.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
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Watching De Zerbi trying to use a threadbare squad last season was painful at times.—
Andy Naylor,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The protest was not politically motivated, but demonstrations in the country can sometimes lead to political unrest under the harsh regime.—
Brie Stimson,
Fox News,
16 Feb. 2025
-
The delays follow the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a warning over harsh weather for residents of Huntersville and Gastonia in North Carolina, which is also affecting the Charlotte Douglas Airport.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The most concrete result of therapy has been Milena’s acknowledgment that childbirth was an agonizing experience; her slow-burning resentment of the ungrateful twins has been building ever since.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Feb. 2025
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The organizers said that choice can save event volunteers an agonizing wait at U.S. Customs.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Immigrant advocates call those moves cruel and unnecessary.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
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The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.—
Dr. Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Among the caterpillars Walker has studied are puss, or asp, caterpillars, whose stings can be excruciating.—
Ivan Amato,
Scientific American,
30 Jan. 2025
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Like the compulsive twisting of a pencil into a sharpener, Khatami tightens the narrative rope to excruciating effect with a series of ominous foreshadowings.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But that independence, and particularly the eye-opening success that EMPIRE has experienced over the past few years, has also brought scrutiny — and tests of Ghazi’s commitment, particularly during a time of intense consolidation in the music business.—
Dan Rys,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2025
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With rain that could be intense enough to cause #mudslides.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near torturous
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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