1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
relatives had to make the torturous decision to disconnect the patient's life-support system
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2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the post-infection treatment for rabies was as notoriously torturous as the disease itself
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Recent Examples of torturous
But maybe that’s even more torturous than her child named Bless who never even knew that country.
—
A Dialogue, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Season 2 reveals the main characters were locked up in a torturous adult rehabilitation center, but have now been allowed to re-enroll at Godolkin University.
—Zoe Kaplan, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Today's ruling averts that torturous outcome.
—Tobias Meyjes, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
This will cause Black a prolonged and torturous execution, the attorneys argue, violating Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
A Dialogue, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Season 2 reveals the main characters were locked up in a torturous adult rehabilitation center, but have now been allowed to re-enroll at Godolkin University.
—Zoe Kaplan, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Today's ruling averts that torturous outcome.
—Tobias Meyjes, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
This will cause Black a prolonged and torturous execution, the attorneys argue, violating Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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In other words, the more painful the cry sounded, the warmer the listener's face became—and the effect was the same for both men and women.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Queen could have surgery to remove bunions, but has been warned against it as the surgery is too painful.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Oysters inspired the researchers because of their remarkable ability to attach to rocks, bridge pilings, or even each other in the harsh underwater environment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For athletes across all sports, few experiences are as agonizing as being forced to leave competition with a sudden muscle cramp.—
Michael Hales,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
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The crux of this tale is now an agonizing decision that Joan has to make, egged on by her rather flighty coordinator Ryan (John Early), who is competing against Anna to make this all work.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The cruel irony is that the very systems designed to promote inclusion can inadvertently reinforce exclusion.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And of course, to serve as cruel juxtaposition, deGrom retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning on just six pitches.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But within those few episodes is a devastating story about a young boy who commits a horrendous crime that unfolds in excruciating detail, with each episode consisting of a single long shot.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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One from the spring of 1977 is excruciating in its details of my humiliation at the hands of a gallerist at what was then the most important photography gallery in New York.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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This question — which strikes at the heart of a perennial issue in American politics, frequently reignited by recurring mass shootings — sparked an intense partisan divide.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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