torment
n. C / Un. great physical or mental pain. It describes a feeling of suffering that is very hard to handle.
n. severe physical or mental suffering; a state of intense pain or anguish. Often refers to the source of such suffering as well as the experience itself.
The long wait for news was pure torment.
He lived in constant torment after losing his home and all his belongings in the fire.
The protagonist's internal torment is central to the novel, as he struggles to reconcile his personal desires with his professional obligations.
From Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum (“something operated by twisting”), from torquere (“to twist”).
Uncountable when referring to the state of suffering; countable when referring to a specific source or instance of pain.