1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind
spent an afternoon in torture waiting to hear whether her brother had made it home safely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
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2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torture
Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Authorities arrested David and Louise and charged them with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Attorneys claim Laureano-Rosales is no longer a part of MS-13 or the Mexican Mafia, and was not deported under the Biden administration due to fears he would be tortured or killed if sent back to El Salvador or Mexico.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
Ethan's mother, Valerie Hamilton, and stepfather, Shane Shelton, were charged with one count of felony murder, two counts of first-degree child abuse, one count of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Authorities arrested David and Louise and charged them with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
All of this makes the job of being an informed citizen just tortured.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Attorneys claim Laureano-Rosales is no longer a part of MS-13 or the Mexican Mafia, and was not deported under the Biden administration due to fears he would be tortured or killed if sent back to El Salvador or Mexico.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
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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
-
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
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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
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
Verb
-
Since his return to office in 2025, this firehose of lies has only accelerated, distorting everything from economic data to constitutional law.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said the data was distorted by the timing of the Lunar New Year, which falls in mid-February this year after taking place in January last year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Embracing misery is one kind of defiance; demanding to be heard is another.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
-
This year, more than usual, a group of Florida lawmakers are clinging to a Biblical-sounding principle — and doing their best to ensure that the wages of sin are, at the very least, misery.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Smaller version of the quakes at home Think of a plastic water bottle filled to the rim with the cap firmly screwed on.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Was Tony Kiritsis really screwed out of a legitimate business deal?—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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