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
The push comes as nine inmates on death row filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court in March saying the state’s new one-drug execution protocol brings the risk of a torturous death and has fewer safeguards compared to the previous protocol.
—
Kelly Puente, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
My Mom Died is a harrowing read that traces McCurdy’s torturous relationship with her mother, which included highly invasive inspections of her body, an extreme low-calorie diet designed to keep her weight low, and a bathing ritual where her mother would shave her legs.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
Instead, Jaws’s torturous production forged a generational filmmaker.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Sunday ended in the rubble of a torturous eighth inning, when the Tigers went from winning 4-2 to losing 6-4 in the rubber match against the Reds.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Kelly Puente, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
My Mom Died is a harrowing read that traces McCurdy’s torturous relationship with her mother, which included highly invasive inspections of her body, an extreme low-calorie diet designed to keep her weight low, and a bathing ritual where her mother would shave her legs.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
Instead, Jaws’s torturous production forged a generational filmmaker.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Sunday ended in the rubble of a torturous eighth inning, when the Tigers went from winning 4-2 to losing 6-4 in the rubber match against the Reds.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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Higher temperatures can be too hot for a dog’s paw pads and, in some cases, can cause painful burns.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
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The tents are overrun by mosquitoes and other large insects, subjecting people to frequent and painful insect bites.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
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The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Laura and Geoff tried to summarize the heights of Greg’s life — most tied to football — as well as his agonizing final 15 years.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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News reports and photographs from Texas have been agonizing reminders of the damage nature can inflict.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.—
Lynn Northcutt Vega,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision from the Ninth Circuit that determined a ban on people sleeping in public was constitutionally cruel and unusual.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Marvel Comics’s dysfunctional super-family proved that comic-book characters could be relatable, but so far, each attempt to create a Fantastic Four movie has ranged from forgettable to excruciating.—
Dale Obbie,
Vulture,
23 July 2025
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Despite undergoing more than 40 major surgeries and enduring excruciating treatments like wearing a metal facial brace at age 6, Resek continues to live with recurring infections, sleep apnea, and other lasting impacts of her condition.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Sports, especially intense ones like rafting, invoke our competitive spirit.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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The team observed laser emissions in two distinct wavelengths for all color regions of the feathers' eyespots, with the green color regions emitting the most intense laser light.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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