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torment

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Torment is pain, suffering, annoyance or anxiety.

(noun)

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

See torment in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Obsolete an instrument of torture or the torture inflicted
great pain or anguish, physical or mental; suffering; agony
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

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

Origin: ME tormenten < OFr tourmenter < the n.

Related Forms:

tormentingly adverb

See torment in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Great physical pain or mental anguish.
A source of harassment, annoyance, or pain.
The torture inflicted on prisoners under interrogation.

transitive verb (tôr-mĕntˈ, tôrˈmĕntˌ) tor·ment·ed, tor·ment·ing, tor·ments

To cause to undergo great physical pain or mental anguish. See Synonyms at afflict.
To agitate or upset greatly.
To annoy, pester, or harass.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin tormentum

Origin: , from torquēre, to twist; see terk^w- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

tor·mentˈing·ly adverb

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