What does "torture" mean?
The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.
Torture
/ˈtoɹt͡ʃɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.
- Grammar: torture is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: torment, agony, abuse, abuse.
- Useful contrasts: calm, comfort, compassion.
- Usage evidence: The cruelty of the torture in the police station is beyond description.
How to use "torture"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "torture" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "torture" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "torture" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "torture" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "torture" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "torment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "torture", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish. countable, uncountable
"People confess to anything under torture."
- 2 the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason wordnet
- 3 The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.; Sexual activity involving the infliction of pain to a certain body part or in a certain manner. countable, in-compounds, uncountable
"cock and ball torture"
- 4 the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean wordnet
- 5 Severe pain or anguish, of mind or body. countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain wordnet
- 7 An unpleasant sensation or its infliction: embarrassment, heartache, etc. countable, uncountable
"Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!"
- 8 extreme mental distress wordnet
- 9 unbearable physical pain wordnet
Verb
- 1 To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone), usually with the aim of forcing confessions or punishing them. transitive
"1 August 2014, Barack Obama, "Press Conference by the President"; transcript published online by the Obama White House Archives, [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/01/press-conference-president [1]]. With respect to the larger point of the RDI report itself, even before I came into office I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values."
- 2 subject to torture wordnet
- 3 torment emotionally or mentally wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The cruelty of the torture in the police station is beyond description."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "torture"?
Common synonyms include: torment, agony, abuse, abuse, afflict, aggrieve.
How do you use "torture" in a sentence?
The cruelty of the torture in the police station is beyond description.
How do you pronounce "torture"?
Pronounced /ˈtoɹt͡ʃɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English torture, from Old French torture, from Late Latin tortūra (“a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a griping colic;” in Medieval Latin “pain inflicted by judicial or ecclesiastical authority as a means of persuasion, torture”), from Latin tortus (whence also tort), past participle of torquēre (“to twist”).