torture
torture Lexical Profile
torture Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The action or practice of inflicting severe physical or psychological pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.
"International human rights treaties strictly prohibit the use of torture under any circumstances."
Great physical or mental suffering, agony, or severe distress, or something that causes it.
"Waiting all weekend for the final exam results was pure torture for the anxious students."
• verb
To inflict severe physical or mental pain on someone as a punishment or to coerce them into doing or confessing something.
"The historical tribunal documented how the regime had conspired to torture political dissidents."
To cause great mental anguish, anxiety, or emotional suffering to someone.
"You should not torture yourself over a minor mistake that has already been resolved."
To twist, force, or distort something out of its natural shape, meaning, or logical interpretation.
"Critics argued that the attorney had to torture the wording of the statute to justify that conclusion."
Word Nuance & Usage
The derived adjectives 'torturous' (involving extreme pain or suffering) and 'tortuous' (full of twists and turns, or excessively complex) share the same Latin root but are frequently confused; use 'torturous' when referring to agony and 'tortuous' for winding paths or convoluted arguments.
• Rhymes for torture
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century via Middle French from Late Latin tortura ('a twisting, writhing, or torment'), derived from the past participle stem of Latin torquere ('to twist or wring').