Torture definition and meaning

Torture definition: If someone is tortured , another person deliberately causes them great pain over a period… | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

Definition of ’torture’

Word Frequency


torture


(


t

ɔ

rtʃər



)

Word forms:


tortures


,


torturing


,


tortured


1.


transitive verb

If someone

is tortured

, another person deliberately causes them

terrible

pain over a period of time, in order to punish them or to make them reveal information.


Despite being tortured she proclaimed her innocence.


2.


transitive verb

To

torture

someone means to cause them to suffer mental pain or anxiety.


He would not torture her further by trying to argue with her.


More Synonyms of

torture


COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Video: pronunciation of

torture

Word Frequency


torture


in American English


(


ˈtɔrtʃər



)


noun


1.


2.

any

method

by which such pain is inflicted


3.

any severe physical or mental pain; agony; anguish


4.

a cause of such pain or agony


5.


Rare


verb transitive

Word forms:


ˈtortured


or


ˈtorturing


6.

to

subject

to torture


7.

to cause extreme physical or mental pain to; agonize


8.

to twist or

distort

(

meaning

, language, etc.)
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms



torturer


(

ˈtorturer

)


noun



torturous


(

ˈtorturous

)


adjective



torturously


(

ˈtorturously

)


adverb

Word origin

Fr < LL

tortura

, a twisting, torture < pp. of L

torquere

, to twist: see

tort

Word Frequency


torture


in British English


(


ˈtɔːtʃə



)


verb



(

transitive

)


1.

to torture prisoners


2.


3.

to

twist

into a

grotesque

form


noun


4.

physical or mental anguish


5.

the

practice

of torturing a person


6.

a cause of mental

agony

or

worry



▶ USAGE

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


Collins English Dictionary

. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms



tortured


(

ˈtortured

)


adjective



torturedly


(

ˈtorturedly

)


adverb



torturer


(

ˈtorturer

)


noun



torturesome


(

ˈtorturesome

)


or


torturous


(

ˈtorturous

)


adjective



torturing


(

ˈtorturing

)


adjective



torturingly


(

ˈtorturingly

)


adverb



torturously


(

ˈtorturously

)


adverb

Word origin

C16: from Late Latin

tortūra

a twisting, from

torquēre

to twist

Synonyms of ‘torture’


More Synonyms of

torture

Trends of

torture

View usage over:

In other languages

torture


British English

:


torture


ˈtɔːtʃə

/

NOUN

If someone is made to experience

torture

, another person deliberately causes them great pain, in order to punish them or make them reveal information.
…alleged cases of torture and murder.


American English

:


torture


ˈtɔrtʃər

/


Arabic

:

تَعْذِيب


Brazilian Portuguese

:

tortura


Chinese

:


折磨


Croatian

:

mučenje


Czech

:

mučení


Danish

:

tortur


Dutch

:

marteling


European Spanish

:


tortura


Finnish

:

kidutus


French

:


torture


German

:


Folter


Greek

:

βασανιστήριο


Italian

:


tortura


Japanese

:

拷問


Korean

:

고문


Norwegian

:

tortur


Polish

:

tortury


European Portuguese

:


tortura


Romanian

:

tortură


Russian

:

пытка


Spanish

:


tortura


Swedish

:

tortyr


Thai

:

การทรมาน


Turkish

:

işkence


Ukrainian

:

тортури


Vietnamese

:

sự tra tấn


British English

:


torture


ˈtɔːtʃə

/

VERB

If someone

is tortured

, another person deliberately causes them great pain over a period of time, in order to punish them or to make them reveal information.


American English

:


torture


ˈtɔrtʃər

/


Arabic

:

يُعَذِّبُ


Brazilian Portuguese

:

torturar


Chinese

:

刑讯逼供


Croatian

:

mučiti


Czech

:

mučit


Danish

:

torturere


Dutch

:

martelen


European Spanish

:


torturar


Finnish

:

kiduttaa


French

:


torturer


German

:


foltern


Greek

:

βασανίζω


Italian

:


torturare


Japanese

:

拷問にかける


Korean

:

고문하다


Norwegian

:

torturere


Polish

:

torturować


European Portuguese

:


torturar


Romanian

:

a tortura


Russian

:

пытать


Spanish

:


torturar


Swedish

:

tortera


Thai

:

ทรมาน


Turkish

:

işkence etmek


Ukrainian

:

катувати


Vietnamese

:

tra tấn


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Nearby words of

torture

Related terms of

torture

Source

Definition of

torture

from the

Collins English Dictionary

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question:

1

Score:


0

/

5


lead


or


led

?

Which version is correct?


coffee


or


tea

?

Which version is correct?


did


or


done

?

Which version is correct?


farther


or


father

?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
farther
father


My sisters moved even


away from home.


to


or


too


or


two

?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
two
to
too


He is now married with


children.


Your score:

May 01, 2021

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the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry


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Scrabble score
for ‘torture’:


7

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