tormentingly

Variant of torment

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:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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