torture
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of causing someone great physical or mental pain, often to force them to tell a secret.
n.the deliberate infliction of severe physical or psychological pain, typically as a means of coercion, interrogation, or punishment.
Simple“The international treaty strictly forbids the use of torture against prisoners.”
In context“Human rights organisations documented systemic torture within the military prison, citing evidence of both physical violence and sleep deprivation.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.a feeling of great unhappiness or worry.
n.intense mental or emotional anguish; a state of extreme distress.
Simple“Waiting for the hospital results was pure torture for the family.”
In context“The protagonist endured the torture of regret for years, unable to forgive himself for the choices he made in his youth.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that is very annoying, boring, or difficult to do.
n.an experience that is highly unpleasant, tedious, or irritating, often used for hyperbolic effect.
Simple“Sitting through that three-hour meeting was absolute torture.”
In context“For a professional athlete used to constant movement, being confined to a hospital bed for a month was nothing short of torture.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to hurt someone badly on purpose, usually to get information.
v.to intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on a person or animal.
Simple“The dictator was accused of using the secret police to torture his enemies.”
In context“The regime was condemned by the United Nations for its decision to torture political dissidents in an attempt to suppress the uprising.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Synonymsvictimizemistreat
“He demanded that all political prisoners be freed “without exception, without delay, and promptly”, and that Venezuela needs to “close forever the door of torture centres”.”
“It contrasted this with al-Assad’s regime, where torture was not due to gaps in law, but state policy itself.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.