torment Definition
tor·ment (tôr′ment′; for v. tôr ment′, tôr′ment′)
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
Etymology: 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
Etymology: ME tormenten < OFr tourmenter < the n.
torment Related Forms
torment Synonyms
torment Synonyms
torment Usage Examples
Object
- soul: You can't torment disembodied souls - you can't do anything to them!
- genius: He is tortured lover, enemy of the people, tormented genius.
- defense: In on-loan Paul di Giacomo Stirling have a player who is likely to torment defenses on a weekly basis.
- spirit: The romance was doomed to fail and her tormented spirit haunts the site of her death.
- animal: Some children, especially nowadays, will torment an animal too.
- man: In the comics, Bruce is a tormented man who wants to cure himself.
Converse of object
suffer: For sixteen years Stefan Kiszko suffered unimaginable torment in prison, having been wrongly convicted of her murder.
Subject
thought: Throughout much of his life Wittgenstein was tormented by thoughts of suicide.
Adjective modifier
- eternal: The doctrine of eternal torment turns John 3:16 completely on its head.
- everlasting: The word destruction here simply refers to ultimate eternal judgment in hell, everlasting torment.
- inner: The film captures perfectly the inner torment that the women face.
- conscious: So there is nothing in this parable to suggest that the wicked suffer eternal conscious torment.
- terrible: We are the dead, and in us there is not feeling nor imagination nor the terrible torment of lust for justice.
- psychological: Abuse seems to broadly fall into the following categories: Excessive physical violence or psychological torment undertaken by an individual against an animal.
Modifying Another Word
in: He was, he wrote, " in torment " at the delay in his mother's reply.
Used with why or when
that: He opens a Pandora's Box of terror and torment that will chill the blood.
Preposition: in
hell: Distorting the gospel The teaching of eternal torment in Hell distorts the gospel message.
Preposition: of
- hell: Believers go into heavenly bliss, whilst unbelievers are thrown into the torments of hell.
- fire: He will not give them eternal life so that they can suffer in the flame of that torment of hell fire.
Preposition: by
thought: Throughout much of his life Wittgenstein was tormented by thoughts of suicide.
Print this Page
Suggestion Box
Send to Friend
