What does "tortured" mean?

1. (suffering greatly) feeling great physical or mental pain. 2. (difficult and complicated) very complicated and hard to follow, especially a story or an explanation.

How do you use "tortured"?

Often used to describe writing, logic, or reasoning that feels 'forced'.

tortured

adj.

US //ˈtɔɹtʃɝd// UK //tˈɔːtʃəd// tor·tured

1 suffering greatly (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

feeling great physical or mental pain.

subjected to intense physical or psychological suffering; often used to describe a person's expression or state of mind.

Example

The artist had a tortured look in his eyes as he spoke about his past.

Example

The biographer spent years researching the poet's tortured existence, documenting the deep depressions that fueled his most famous works.
- agonized
- tormented
- suffering
- peaceful
- content
2 difficult and complicated (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

very complicated and hard to follow, especially a story or an explanation.

characterized by excessive complexity, lack of clarity, or forced effort; often applied to logic, prose, or artistic style.

Example

The lawyer gave a tortured explanation for why the money was missing.

Example

Critics dismissed the film's tortured plot, arguing that the director had sacrificed narrative clarity for the sake of unnecessary symbolism.

Usage

Often used to describe writing, logic, or reasoning that feels 'forced'.

Last updated June 20, 2026