torment 1 of 2

torment

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word torment different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of torment are afflict, rack, torture, and try. While all these words mean "to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear," torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

Where would afflict be a reasonable alternative to torment?

While the synonyms afflict and torment are close in meaning, afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

When could rack be used to replace torment?

The words rack and torment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

When is torture a more appropriate choice than torment?

In some situations, the words torture and torment are roughly equivalent. However, torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

When might try be a better fit than torment?

While in some cases nearly identical to torment, try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torment
Noun
Connors redefines his mission, which results in a personal transformation to ultimately escape the torment of a never-ending Groundhog Day. Michael Hicks, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 Because of this close bond, Ung said raising prices is a torment. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
This harrowing, 35mm-shot story of pubescent boys tormenting each other at a water polo summer camp doubles as a coming-of-age drama and an adolescent, acne-scarred body-horror nightmare. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 May 2025 Early on, Bix, in hiding while Cassian went on Rebel assignments, was tormented by memories of her abuse. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for torment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torment
Noun
  • At this point in the narrative, when Mike is sentenced to 14 months jail time, more conventional addiction dramas would dig into the trauma of incarceration and the agony of substance withdrawal.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
  • One young man described the particular agony of being placed carelessly in a wheelchair and forced to sit for hours atop his testicles.
    Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • The organization provides up to eight free mental health and counseling sessions to youth and their families who have experienced gun violence, abuse or emotional distress.
    Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2025
  • Noumea’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre notified Carnival Splendor about a distress call from a catamaran while the ship was traveling south of New Caledonia on Thursday, according to a news release.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 May 2025
  • Other days, some of the old demons on the forehand and the serve resurface.
    Corey Seymour, Vogue, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • In a region plagued by foreign interference and democratic decline, Traoré's message resonates with disillusioned youth.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
  • But travel remains plagued by inefficiencies with disconnected booking systems, delays without real-time resolution and reliance on legacy infrastructure and software that slow rather than facilitate the journey.
    Omry Litvak, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Saving him and others is their work Pratt & Whitney union votes to approve new contract, end strike Private equity created a ‘nightmare’ in CT hospitals, staff say.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2025
  • Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare.
    Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • Winant crystallizes this idea of crossing a indescribable threshold through her discussion and analysis of masochism, an intrinsic component of athletic practice that intertwines physical pleasure with pain.
    Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
  • The primary question negotiators must settle is how to share the pain of shrinking water supplies between the Upper Basin — which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah — and the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • Hamas and other militant groups kidnapped 251 people from Israel during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks.
    Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
  • In the trailer, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles) is recruited to be part of an elite team tasked with preventing a large scale terror attack in Los Angeles.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Leopoldo chose to be the voice of the people who elected him, and was persecuted for it.
    Imamu "Mu" Tomlinson, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted.
    Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torment. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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