1
as in nightmares
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 distresses
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 demons
a source of persistent emotional distress
insomnia that was caused by a host of nighttime torments
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plagues
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 torments
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
—
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
For example, Madrazo’s depiction of the daughters of El Cid echoes Yáñez’s treatment of Sebastian’s torments, and Guerrero has deeply studied Spanish baroque painting.
—
Benjamin Lima
special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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
The author delves into the torments PTSD causes Vietnam veterans as well as family dynamics.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Hell is nevertheless filled with bloody and horrific torments.
—
Claudia Roth Pierpont,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
But true to its Old Testament inspiration and underlying theology, there’s no knowing why God has sent these torments to Jacob and his town.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley after Jade Cargill torments Ripley.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.
—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.
—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Jigsaw torments blind guys, too.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Hurricane Melissa torments Jamaica 'There have been loud bangs on the ceiling, and our doors are shaking.
—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.
—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
—
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
For example, Madrazo’s depiction of the daughters of El Cid echoes Yáñez’s treatment of Sebastian’s torments, and Guerrero has deeply studied Spanish baroque painting.
—
Benjamin Lima
special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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
The author delves into the torments PTSD causes Vietnam veterans as well as family dynamics.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Hell is nevertheless filled with bloody and horrific torments.
—
Claudia Roth Pierpont,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
But true to its Old Testament inspiration and underlying theology, there’s no knowing why God has sent these torments to Jacob and his town.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Caleb and Kayda spend a few minutes chatting in the Say Less nook, and Zach torments himself with mental images of them making out just outside of view.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley after Jade Cargill torments Ripley.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.
—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.
—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Jigsaw torments blind guys, too.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Hurricane Melissa torments Jamaica 'There have been loud bangs on the ceiling, and our doors are shaking.
—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torments
Noun
-
Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
-
Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales.
Noun
-
Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
-
Perhaps second only to getting sunburned through your favorite white dress, the greatest casualty of summer fashion is the aches and pains brought on by your cutest but least supportive shoes.
Noun
-
Eerie in a way that feels more seductive than scary, the film isn’t bewitched by its demons so much as the process of transubstantiation by which a (self)tortured young woman can transform them into grace.
-
Opportunity Babcock will arrive at camp in search of forwards who can be demons on the forecheck.
Verb
-
More bureaucracy — in the form of the new stand-alone Department of Gun Violence Reduction — while well-intentioned, isn’t the panacea to what plagues our city, especially as whoever is appointed head of this new department will enjoy too much independence from the mayor.
-
Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.
Noun
-
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
-
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
Noun
-
The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.
-
The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.
Noun
-
The year since has been one of night-terrors and grief for the families who lost loved ones.
-
Coming later this year, Bass X Macina is set in a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines and supernatural terrors, while Sparks of Tomorrow follows how technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power blankets Kyoto in smoke.
Verb
-
China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
Cite this Entry
“Torments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torments. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
