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torture

Syllabification: (tor·ture)
Pronunciation: /ˈtôrCHər/

Translate torture | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of torture

noun

  • the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something, or for the pleasure of the person inflicting the pain.
  • great physical or mental suffering or anxiety:the torture I’ve gone through because of loving you so
  • a cause of suffering or anxiety:dances were absolute torture because I was so small

verb

[with object]
  • inflict severe pain on:most of the victims had been brutally tortured
  • cause great mental suffering or anxiety to:he was tortured by grief

Derivatives

torturer

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'distortion, twisting', or a physical disorder characterized by this): via French from late Latin tortura 'twisting, torment', from Latin torquere 'to twist'

torture in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of torture in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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