torment

Torment is pain, suffering, annoyance or anxiety.

(noun)

  1. An example of torment is a toothache.
  2. An example of torment is Chinese water torture.

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See torment in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. Obsolete an instrument of torture or the torture inflicted
  2. great pain or anguish, physical or mental; suffering; agony
  3. a source of pain, anxiety, or annoyance

Origin: OFr < L tormentum, a rack, instrument of torture, torture, pain, orig., machine for twisting or throwing < torquere, to twist, whirl around, fling: see tort

transitive verb

  1. Rare to torture
  2. to cause great physical pain or mental anguish in
  3. to annoy, harass, or tease
  4. Obsolete to stir up; agitate

Origin: ME tormenten < OFr tourmenter < the n.

Related Forms:

See torment in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. Great physical pain or mental anguish.
  2. A source of harassment, annoyance, or pain.
  3. The torture inflicted on prisoners under interrogation.
transitive verb (tôr-mĕntˈ, tôrˈmĕntˌ) tor·ment·ed, tor·ment·ing, tor·ments
  1. To cause to undergo great physical pain or mental anguish. See Synonyms at afflict.
  2. To agitate or upset greatly.
  3. To annoy, pester, or harass.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin tormentum

Origin: , from torquēre, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • tor·mentˈing·ly adverb

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