torture
[ tawr-cher ]
/ ˈtɔr tʃər /
noun
verb (used with object), tor·tured, tor·tur·ing.
Origin of torture
OTHER WORDS FROM torture
Words nearby torture
tortoni,
tortricid,
tortuga,
tortuosity,
tortuous,
torture,
torture porn,
torturous,
torula,
torulopsosis,
torulosis
Example sentences from the Web for torture
British Dictionary definitions for torture
torture
/ (ˈtɔːtʃə) /
verb (tr)
to cause extreme physical pain to, esp in order to extract information, break resistance, etc
to torture prisoners
to give mental anguish to
to twist into a grotesque form
noun
physical or mental anguish
the practice of torturing a person
a cause of mental agony or worry
Derived forms of torture
Word Origin for torture
C16: from Late Latin
tortūra a twisting, from
torquēre to twist
usage for torture
The adjective
torturous is sometimes confused with
tortuous. One speaks of a
torturous experience, i.e. one that involves pain or suffering, but of a
tortuous road, i.e. one that winds or twists