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
Relevance
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
3
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress
insomnia that was caused by a host of nighttime torments
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torment
Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Here, Seyfried captures the inner conflict of Ann Lee’s torment and trauma along with the ecstatic release of her religious practice.
—Mark Olsen, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Beandrea July, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
The self-torturing helices of thought twisting inside the young minds on the courts are no less fraught than the recursive neuroses tormenting the addicts down the hill.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torment
Noun
Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Here, Seyfried captures the inner conflict of Ann Lee’s torment and trauma along with the ecstatic release of her religious practice.
—Mark Olsen, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Bishop is clearly still tormented by his role in convicting the men.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
The self-torturing helices of thought twisting inside the young minds on the courts are no less fraught than the recursive neuroses tormenting the addicts down the hill.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
-
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Steven McDonald, a fallen hero of the department who channeled the agony of three devastating gunshot wounds into an enduring message of peace and forgiveness.—
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Office conversions to residential, especially in New York City, are also helping mitigate some of the distress.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Only four districts face significant fiscal distress — a decline from prior years.—
John Manly,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the movie, HUNTR/X, the worldwide K-pop girl group made up of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, spends their off-hours battling demons.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The movie, about a pop girl group, HUNTR/X, that fights demons and protect South Korea from them, was a smash hit.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, neighborhoods ranging from Hancock Park and Lincoln Heights to Mar Vista and Pico Union have been plagued by copper wire theft that darkens the streets.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Christie has been one of the most consistent Mavericks in a season plagued by inconsistency.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Brontë’s novel is an eternal nightmare, one that has haunted readers for two centuries.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This system, that supposed to take care of people and protect them, all of a sudden becomes a nightmare.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Personality traits such as mental toughness, discipline, high pain tolerance and persistence may also lead to worsened eating disorder risk and behaviors in athletes.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
And we are bound by ties of community, having attended the same summer camps, showed up at each other’s family celebrations, and felt each other’s pain.—
Lindsay Baach Friedmann,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The critical bulletin issued to pilots and airlines not to fly below 18,000 feet was initially set for 10 days, a duration for a full grounding not used since the 9/11 terror attacks.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The film delves into the fragility of the human mind, the dangers of AI warfare, and the indomitable spirit required to confront terror in an increasingly digital world.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Secret Agent’s primary setting is a house full of misfits and refugees in the northeastern city of Recife, a safe harbor from those persecuted by the country’s military regime, ruled over by the inimitable Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria, whose role was written specifically for her).—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2026
-
His previously peaceful world had been shattered when Vilna was occupied by the German army three months before and soon the Germans began to persecute and arrest Jews.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
