Synonyms for torture
ˈtɔr tʃərtor·ture

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. torture

   Pain is the most general term of this group, including all the others; pain is a disturbing sensation from which nature revolts, resulting from some injurious external interference (as from a wound, a bruise, a harsh word, etc.), or from some lack of what one needs, craves, or cherishes (as, the pain of hunger or bereavement), or from some abnormal action of bodily or mental functions (as, the pains of disease, envy, or discontent). Suffering is one of the severer forms of pain. The prick of a needle causes pain, but we should scarcely speak of it as suffering. Distress is too strong a word for little hurts, too feeble for the intensest suffering, but commonly applied to some continuous or prolonged trouble or need; as, the distress of a shipwrecked crew, or of a destitute family. Ache is lingering pain, more or less severe; pang, a pain short, sharp, intense, and perhaps repeated. We speak of the pangs of hunger or of remorse. Throe is a violent and thrilling pain. Paroxysm applies to an alternately recurring and receding pain, which comes as it were in waves; the paroxysm is the rising of the wave. Torment and torture are intense and terrible sufferings. Agony and anguish express the utmost pain or suffering of body or mind. Agony of body is that with which the system struggles; anguish that by which it is crushed.

   Synonyms:
   ache, agony, anguish, distress, pain, pang, paroxysm, suffering, throe, torment, twinge, wo(e)

   Antonyms:
   comfort, delight, ease, enjoyment, peace, rapture, relief, solace

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.7 / 3 votes

1. torture

   Synonyms:
   agony, anguish, racking, torment

   Antonyms:
   ecstasy, rapture, bliss

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. anguish, torment, torturenoun

   extreme mental distress

   Synonyms:
   badgering, distortion, worrying, overrefinement, torturing, straining, harassment, anguish, bedevilment, twisting, agony, curse, torment

2. torture, tormentnoun

   unbearable physical pain

   Synonyms:
   badgering, harassment, worrying, overrefinement, torturing, agony, anguish, bedevilment, curse, twisting, distortion, straining, torment

3. agony, torment, torturenoun

   intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

   "an agony of doubt"; "the torments of the damned"

   Synonyms:
   badgering, distortion, worrying, overrefinement, torturing, straining, harassment, excruciation, anguish, bedevilment, suffering, twisting, agony, curse, torment

4. distortion, overrefinement, straining, torture, twistingnoun

   the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

   Synonyms:
   overrefinement, straining, strain, torturing, spin, twist, optical aberration, twisting, aberration, whirl, twirl, distortion, deformation, agony, distorted shape, anguish, torment

5. torture, torturingverb

   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

   "it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession"

   Synonyms:
   overrefinement, torturing, agony, anguish, twisting, distortion, straining, torment

6. torment, torture, excruciate, rackverb

   torment emotionally or mentally

   Synonyms:
   squeeze, gouge, bedevil, wring, extort, rack, rag, single-foot, excruciate, crucify, scud, dun, frustrate, torment

7. torture, excruciate, tormentverb

   subject to torture

   "The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible"

   Synonyms:
   bedevil, rack, rag, excruciate, crucify, dun, frustrate, torment

Matched Categories

1. • Anguish
   • Falsification
   • Injure
   • Pain
   • Suffering

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. torturenoun

   Synonyms:
   anguish, agony, torment, rack, pang, extreme pain, excruciating pain, acute distress

2. tortureverb

   Synonyms:
   torment, distress, agonize, rack, excruciate, pain extremely, put to extreme pain

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:2.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "torture":

   tortured, torturing, tortures, tortura

Suggested Resources

1. torture

   Song lyrics by torture -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by torture on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use torture in a sentence?

1. Nisar Javed Fakhri:

   I had accepted my involvement in the occurrence due to torture, i was innocent.

2. Henrik Ibsen:

   It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.

3. Mark Warner:

   Most importantly, I believe she is someone who can and will stand up to the President if ordered to do something illegal or immoral – like a return to torture.

4. Michael Mikel:

   I thank the police authorities for their rescue efforts and the support I’ve received from friends and family members, unfortunately, my dad is now in hospital receiving emergency treatment as a result of the torture he received during his capture.

5. Lisa Murkowski:

   Alaska Cares saw a 173 percent increase in children hospitalized in the pediatric ICU for serious physical abuse and fatal neglect, i heard about an unprecedented increase in child torture.