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 the stubborn Pharaoh continued his torturous ways.
—
Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
The Bruins keep finding new, torturous ways to lose hockey games.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
Their relocation will mark the end of a long, and often torturous, journey for the club that began almost 25 years ago.
—Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Now, five years after the declaration of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and three years past seeing how torturous a death the virus can bring, Shaver says the experience gave her a new perspective on life.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
The Bruins keep finding new, torturous ways to lose hockey games.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
Their relocation will mark the end of a long, and often torturous, journey for the club that began almost 25 years ago.
—Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Now, five years after the declaration of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and three years past seeing how torturous a death the virus can bring, Shaver says the experience gave her a new perspective on life.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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But amidst this painful reality, a story rooted in joy, agency, and radical self-determination is emerging.—
Stephanie Long,
Essence,
17 Apr. 2025
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This is especially painful for individuals who are approaching Medicare eligibility, as a conversion might result in substantially higher premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D prescription coverage.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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Even if investors are slightly more confident this week, after Trump backed off most of his harshest tariff rates, the changes in people’s life-style habits serve as their own kind of affective barometer.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The roughly 6,000 employees in Kansas City faced agonizing choices: decide whether to accept resignation or early retirement offers by April 14 or risk losing their jobs later.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Apr. 2025
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Another has equipment so inadequate that the city has to ship samples to a state lab 150 miles away, causing inefficiencies, agonizing waits for results and delayed response times.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Bannon, who owns a marketing company, then began experiencing excruciating stomach pains and lost 14 pounds in just a month, which doctors blamed on acid reflux.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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From the moment Gabriel Landeskog stepped on the ice for warmups, Ball Arena was rocking, but the joy gave way to excruciating tension as the game went on — until Tyler Seguin scored off a Mason Marchment feed at 5:31 of overtime to give the Stars a 2-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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