torturous
adjective
tor·tur·ous
ˈtȯr-chə-rəs 
ˈtȯrch-
1
a
: very unpleasant or painful
a torturous day
torturous self-doubts
b
: causing torture
torturous inquisitions
2
: painfully difficult or slow
the torturous course of the negotiations
torturously
adverb
Examples of torturous in a Sentence
relatives had to make the torturous decision to disconnect the patient's life-support system
the post-infection treatment for rabies was as notoriously torturous as the disease itself
Recent Examples on the Web
The Lombardi is more Holy Grail than trophy, the end of what can only be described as a torturous emotional pilgrimage.
—
Ali Watkins, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Getting rid of the death penalty also would bring a close to these torturous years of appeals for so many of us.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
Even better, these expert tips should make easing into healthier phone habits much more manageable (and way less torturous).
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 Jan. 2025
Fans rushed the floor after OSU secured the upset, a joyous celebration on a campus that’s been through the college realignment wringer, a torturous process that ultimately killed the Beavers’ conference.
—Lindsay Schnell, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
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Ali Watkins, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Getting rid of the death penalty also would bring a close to these torturous years of appeals for so many of us.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
Even better, these expert tips should make easing into healthier phone habits much more manageable (and way less torturous).
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 Jan. 2025
Fans rushed the floor after OSU secured the upset, a joyous celebration on a campus that’s been through the college realignment wringer, a torturous process that ultimately killed the Beavers’ conference.
—Lindsay Schnell, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torturous. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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