Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense torments, present participle tormenting, past tense, past participle tormentedpronunciation note: The noun is pronounced (tɔːʳment). The verb is pronounced (tɔːʳment).
1. uncountable noun
Torment is extreme suffering, usually mental suffering.
The torment of having her baby kidnapped is written all over her face. [+ of]
He spent days in torment while the police searched for his stolen car.
Synonyms: suffering, distress, misery, pain More Synonyms of torment
2. countable noun
A torment is something that causes extreme suffering, usually mental suffering.
Sooner or later most writers end up making books about the torments of being a writer. [+ of]
Outdoors, mosquitoes and midges were a perpetual torment.
Synonyms: trouble, worry, bother, plague [informal] More Synonyms of torment
3. verb
If something torments you, it causes you extreme mental suffering.
At times the memories returned to torment her. [VERB noun]
He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: torture, pain, distress, afflict More Synonyms of torment
4. verb
If you torment a person or animal, you annoy them in a playful, rather cruel way for your own amusement.
My older brother and sister used to torment me by singing it to me. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tease, annoy, worry, trouble More Synonyms of torment
torment in British English
verb (tɔːˈmɛnt)(transitive)
1.
to afflict with great pain, suffering, or anguish; torture
2.
to tease or pester in an annoying way
stop tormenting the dog
noun (ˈtɔːmɛnt)
3.
physical or mental pain
4.
a source of pain, worry, annoyance, etc
5. archaic
an instrument of torture
6. archaic
the infliction of torture
Derived forms
tormented (torˈmented)
adjective
tormentedly (torˈmentedly)
adverb
tormenting (torˈmenting)
adjective, noun
tormentingly (torˈmentingly)
adverb
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin tormentum, from torquēre
torment in American English
(ˈtɔrˌmɛnt; for v. tɔrˈmɛnt; ˈtɔrˌmɛnt)
noun
1. Obsolete
an instrument of torture or the torture inflicted
2.
great pain or anguish, physical or mental; suffering; agony
3.
a source of pain, anxiety, or annoyance
verb transitive
4. Rare
to torture
5.
to cause great physical pain or mental anguish in
6.
to annoy, harass, or tease
7. Obsolete
to stir up; agitate
SIMILAR WORDS: bait
Derived forms
tormentingly (torˈmentingly)
adverb
Word origin
OFr < L tormentum, a rack, instrument of torture, torture, pain, orig., machine for twisting or throwing< torquere, to twist, whirl around, fling: see tort
Examples of 'torment' in a sentence
torment
In cricket, spin can tease and torment batsmen.
The Sun (2016)
The table above is a particular form of mental torment.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He suffered two decades of flashbacks and mental torment.
The Sun (2009)
City teased and tormented the visitors but to no effect.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Workers in the office of the leader of our country calling a helpline because of the mental torment they were experiencing.
The Sun (2010)
Far more servicemen experience mental torments.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The rest is torment and anguish, from which she seeks to escape by turning inwards.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
What is evident is that for years she was tormented by physical longing for Abelard.
Pamela Norris Words Of Love: Passionate Women from Heloise to Sylvia Plath (2006)
What kind of reward is 35 quid for mental torment like that?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Is this the body language of the tormented man, back from the war?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The same old monsters surface to be tormented like animals at an Elizabethan fair.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
It was also a well-known remedy for "all pains and torments of the belly.
Thompkins, Peter, Bird, Christopher Secrets of the Soil (1990)
I feel deep hatred towards him and wish him pain and torment.
The Sun (2011)
It isn't just the physical pain these guys live with but the mental torment, too.
The Sun (2012)
It's a wildly inventive film which teases and torments the audience; a genuine one off.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He was a tormented, bitter man, who excelled at resentment.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
ENGLAND'S batsmen were teased and tormented by a Pakistan bowler playing his first Test since being banned for a misdemeanour.
The Sun (2016)
But what viewers cannot see is his two years of suffering, which included 100 hours of surgery and mental torment.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
torment
British English: torment NOUN
Torment is extreme suffering, usually mental suffering.
After years of turmoil and torment, she is finally at peace.
American English: torment
Brazilian Portuguese: tormento
Chinese: > 极度痛苦常指精神上的
European Spanish: tormento
French: tourment
German: Qual
Italian: tormento
Japanese: 苦痛
Korean: 고뇌
European Portuguese: tormento
Latin American Spanish: tormento
British English: torment VERB
If something torments you, it causes you extreme mental suffering.
At times the memories returned to torment her.
American English: torment
Brazilian Portuguese: atormentar
Chinese: > 折磨常指精神上的
European Spanish: atormentar
French: tourmenter
German: quälen
Italian: tormentare
Japanese: 苦しめる
Korean: 고뇌를 일으키다
European Portuguese: atormentar
Latin American Spanish: atormentar
Chinese translation of 'torment'
torment
(nˈtɔːmɛnt; vbtɔːˈmɛnt)
n(c/u)
折磨 (zhémó)
vt
[feelings, guilt]折磨 (zhémó)
(= annoy) 折磨 (zhémó)
in torment在折磨中 (zài zhémó zhōng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to cause (someone) great pain or suffering
At times, memories returned to torment her.
Synonyms
torture
Prisoners were often tortured in ancient Rome.
pain
It pains me to think of an animal being in distress.
distress
I did not want to frighten or distress her.
afflict
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
rack
a teenager racked with guilt
harrow
crucify
He had been crucified by guilt ever since his child's death.
agonize
excruciate
Opposites
delight
,
reassure
,
make happy
,
encourage
,
ease
,
comfort
,
soothe
,
put at ease
2 (verb)
Definition
to tease or pester (a person or animal) in an annoying or cruel way
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
Synonyms
tease
He teased me mercilessly about going there.
annoy
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
worry
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
bother
I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
provoke
I didn't want to do anything to provoke him.
devil (informal)
harry
He would exploit and harry his workers.
plague
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
irritate
Their attitude irritates me.
hound
hounded by the press
harass
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
hassle (informal)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
aggravate (informal)
What aggravates you most about this country?
persecute
He described his manager as constantly persecuting him.
pester
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
bedevil
His career was bedevilled by injury.
chivvy (British)
She was very assertive, endlessly chivvying her staff to work harder.
give someone grief (British, South Africa)
lead someone a merry dance (British, informal)
1 (noun)
Definition
physical or mental pain
We spent our days in torment, waiting for news.
Synonyms
suffering
It has caused terrible suffering to animals.
distress
Her mouth grew stiff with pain and distress.
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
pain
Her eyes were filled with pain.
hell (informal)
the hell of grief and lost love
torture
Waiting for the result was torture.
agony
We accepted there would be agony for the remaining children.
anguish
A cry of anguish burst from her lips.
Opposites
joy
,
happiness
,
rest
,
ease
,
comfort
,
encouragement
,
ecstasy
,
reassurance
,
bliss
2 (noun)
Definition
physical or mental pain
the torments of being a writer
Synonyms
trouble
She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine.
worry
Robert's health had always been a worry to his wife.
bother
Most men hate the bother of shaving.
plague (informal)
The traffic can be a real plague at times.
irritation
Don't allow a minor irritation to mar your ambitions.
hassle (informal)
I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle.
nuisance
He can be a bit of a nuisance when he's drunk.
It's a real nuisance having to pick up the kids from school every day.
annoyance
To her annoyance the stranger did not go away.
bane
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
pain in the neck (informal)
She can be a pain in the neck when she's in this sort of mood.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of afflict
Definition
to cause someone suffering or unhappiness
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
Synonyms
torment,
trouble,
pain,
hurt,
wound,
burden,
distress,
rack,
try,
plague,
grieve,
harass,
ail (literary),
oppress,
beset,
smite
in the sense of aggravate
Definition
to annoy
What aggravates you most about this country?
Synonyms
annoy,
bother,
provoke,
needle (informal),
irritate,
tease,
hassle (informal),
gall,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
vex,
irk,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
get up your nose (informal),
be on your back (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub (someone) up the wrong way (informal),
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (British, slang),
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of agony
Definition
acute physical or mental pain
We accepted there would be agony for the remaining children.
Synonyms
suffering,
pain,
distress,
misery,
torture,
discomfort,
torment,
hardship,
woe,
anguish,
pangs,
affliction,
throes
Synonyms of 'torment'
torment
Explore 'torment' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of anguish
Definition
great mental pain
A cry of anguish burst from her lips.
Synonyms
suffering,
pain,
torture,
distress,
grief,
misery,
agony,
torment,
sorrow,
woe,
heartache,
heartbreak,
pang,
throe
in the sense of annoy
Definition
to irritate or displease
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
Synonyms
irritate,
trouble,
bore,
anger,
harry,
bother,
disturb,
provoke,
get (informal),
bug (informal),
needle (informal),
plague,
tease,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
badger,
gall,
madden,
ruffle,
exasperate,
nettle,
molest,
pester,
vex,
displease,
irk,
bedevil,
rile,
peeve,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
get up your nose (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
make your blood boil,
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub someone up the wrong way (informal),
get your goat (slang),
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (British, slang),
get your dander up (informal),
get your back up,
incommode (formal),
put your back up,
hack you off (informal),
be on your back (slang)
in the sense of annoyance
To her annoyance the stranger did not go away.
Synonyms
irritation,
trouble,
anger,
bother,
grief (informal),
harassment,
disturbance,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
provocation,
displeasure,
exasperation,
aggravation (informal),
vexation,
pique,
bedevilment
in the sense of bane
Definition
a person or thing that causes misery or distress
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
Synonyms
plague (informal),
bête noire,
trial,
disaster,
evil,
ruin,
burden,
destruction,
despair,
misery,
curse,
pest,
torment,
woe,
nuisance,
downfall,
calamity,
scourge,
affliction
in the sense of bedevil
Definition
to harass or torment
His career was bedevilled by injury.
Synonyms
plague,
worry,
trouble,
frustrate,
torture,
irritate,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
afflict,
pester,
vex,
irk,
give someone grief (British, South Africa)
in the sense of bother
Definition
to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing
I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
Synonyms
pester,
plague,
irritate,
put out,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
inconvenience,
molest,
breathe down someone's neck,
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
bend someone's ear (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
get on your wick (British, slang)
in the sense of bother
Definition
a state of worry, trouble, or confusion
Most men hate the bother of shaving.
Synonyms
trouble,
problem,
worry,
difficulty,
strain,
grief (British, South Africa),
fuss,
pest,
irritation,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
flurry,
uphill (South Africa),
inconvenience,
annoyance,
aggravation (informal),
vexation
in the sense of chivvy
Definition
to harass or nag
She was very assertive, endlessly chivvying her staff to work harder.
Synonyms
nag,
annoy,
plague,
hound,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
prod,
badger,
pester,
breathe down someone's neck (informal),
pressure (informal),
bug (informal),
bend someone's ear (informal)
in the sense of crucify
Definition
to treat cruelly
He had been crucified by guilt ever since his child's death.
Synonyms
torture,
rack,
torment,
harrow
in the sense of distress
Definition
to upset badly
I did not want to frighten or distress her.
Synonyms
upset,
worry,
trouble,
pain,
wound,
bother,
disturb,
dismay,
grieve,
torment,
harass,
afflict,
harrow,
agitate,
sadden,
perplex,
disconcert,
agonize,
fluster,
perturb,
faze,
throw (someone) off balance
Additional synonyms
in the sense of distress
Definition
great physical pain
Her mouth grew stiff with pain and distress.
Synonyms
suffering,
pain,
worry,
anxiety,
torture,
grief,
misery,
agony,
sadness,
discomfort,
torment,
sorrow,
woe,
anguish,
heartache,
affliction,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of excruciate
Synonyms
torture,
rack,
torment,
afflict,
harrow,
agonize
in the sense of harass
Definition
to trouble or annoy (someone) by repeated attacks, questions, or problems
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
Synonyms
annoy,
trouble,
bother,
worry,
harry,
disturb,
devil (informal),
plague,
bait,
hound,
torment,
hassle (informal),
badger,
persecute,
exasperate,
pester,
vex,
breathe down someone's neck,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
beleaguer
in the sense of harry
Definition
to keep asking (someone) to do something
He would exploit and harry his workers.
Synonyms
pester,
trouble,
bother,
disturb,
worry,
annoy,
plague,
tease,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
badger,
persecute,
molest,
vex,
bedevil,
breathe down someone's neck,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of hassle
Definition
to cause annoyance or trouble to (someone)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
Synonyms
bother,
bug (informal),
annoy,
harry,
hound,
harass,
badger,
pester,
get on your nerves (informal),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal),
breath down someone's neck
in the sense of hassle
Definition
a great deal of trouble
I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle.
Synonyms
trouble,
problem,
difficulty,
upset,
bother,
grief (informal),
trial,
struggle,
uphill (South Africa),
inconvenience
in the sense of hell
Definition
a situation that causes suffering or extreme difficulty
the hell of grief and lost love
Synonyms
torment,
suffering,
agony,
trial,
nightmare,
misery,
ordeal,
anguish,
affliction,
martyrdom,
wretchedness
in the sense of hound
Definition
to pursue, disturb, or criticize relentlessly
hounded by the press
Synonyms
harass,
harry,
bother,
provoke,
annoy,
torment,
hassle (informal),
prod,
badger,
persecute,
pester,
goad,
keep after,
pursue
in the sense of irritate
Definition
to annoy or anger (someone)
Their attitude irritates me.
Synonyms
annoy,
anger,
bother,
provoke,
offend,
needle (informal),
harass,
infuriate,
aggravate (informal),
incense,
fret,
enrage,
gall,
ruffle,
inflame,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
vex,
irk,
pique,
rankle with,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
drive you up the wall (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub you up the wrong way (informal),
get your goat (slang),
try your patience,
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (informal),
get your dander up (informal),
raise your hackles,
get your back up,
get your hackles up,
put your back up,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of irritation
Don't allow a minor irritation to mar your ambitions.
Synonyms
nuisance,
annoyance,
irritant,
pain (informal),
drag (informal),
bother,
plague (informal),
menace (informal),
tease,
pest,
hassle,
provocation,
gall,
goad,
aggravation (informal),
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
thorn in your flesh
Additional synonyms
in the sense of misery
Definition
intense unhappiness or suffering
All that money brought nothing but misery.
Synonyms
unhappiness,
distress,
despair,
grief,
suffering,
depression,
torture,
agony,
gloom,
sadness,
discomfort,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
anguish,
melancholy,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of nuisance
Definition
a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother
He can be a bit of a nuisance when he's drunk.It's a real nuisance having to pick up the kids from school every day.
Synonyms
trouble,
problem,
trial,
bore,
drag (informal),
bother,
plague (informal),
pest,
irritation,
hassle (informal),
inconvenience,
annoyance,
pain (informal),
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
pain in the backside (informal),
pain in the butt (informal),
gall
in the sense of pain
Definition
to cause (a person) physical or mental suffering
It pains me to think of an animal being in distress.
Synonyms
distress,
worry,
hurt,
wound,
torture,
grieve,
torment,
afflict,
sadden,
disquiet,
vex,
agonize,
cut to the quick,
aggrieve
in the sense of pain
Definition
emotional suffering
Her eyes were filled with pain.
Synonyms
sorrow,
suffering,
torture,
distress,
despair,
grief,
misery,
agony,
sadness,
torment,
hardship,
bitterness,
woe,
anguish,
heartache,
affliction,
tribulation,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of pain in the neck
Definition
a person or thing that is annoying or irritating
She can be a pain in the neck when she's in this sort of mood.
Synonyms
nuisance,
pain (informal),
bore,
drag (informal),
bother,
headache (informal),
pest,
irritation,
annoyance,
aggravation (informal),
vexation,
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
pain in the backside (informal)
in the sense of persecute
Definition
to harass (someone) persistently
He described his manager as constantly persecuting him.
Synonyms
harass,
bother,
annoy,
bait,
tease,
worry,
hassle (informal),
badger,
pester,
vex,
be on your back (slang)
in the sense of pester
Definition
to annoy or nag continually
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
Synonyms
annoy,
worry,
bother,
disturb,
bug (informal),
plague,
torment,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
harry,
aggravate (informal),
fret,
badger,
pick on,
irk,
bedevil,
chivvy (British),
get on your nerves (informal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
drive you up the wall (slang),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of plague
Definition
to annoy or pester
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
Synonyms
pester,
trouble,
bother,
disturb,
annoy,
tease,
harry,
harass,
hassle,
fret,
badger,
persecute,
molest,
vex,
bedevil,
get on your nerves (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of plague
Definition
a nuisance
The traffic can be a real plague at times.
Synonyms
nuisance,
problem,
pain (informal),
bother,
pest,
hassle (informal),
annoyance,
irritant,
aggravation (informal),
vexation,
thorn in your flesh
in the sense of provoke
Definition
to deliberately act in a way intended to anger someone
I didn't want to do anything to provoke him.
Synonyms
anger,
insult,
annoy,
offend,
irritate,
infuriate,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
incense,
enrage,
gall,
put someone out,
madden,
exasperate,
vex,
affront,
chafe,
irk,
rile,
pique,
get on someone's nerves (informal),
get someone's back up,
piss someone off (taboo, slang),
put someone's back up,
try someone's patience,
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
make someone's blood boil,
get in someone's hair (informal),
rub someone up the wrong way,
hack someone off (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of rack
Definition
to cause great suffering to
a teenager racked with guilt
Synonyms
torture,
distress,
torment,
harass,
afflict,
oppress,
harrow,
crucify,
agonize,
pain,
excruciate
in the sense of vex
Definition
to cause (someone) to feel annoyance or irritation
Everything about that man vexes me.
Synonyms
annoy,
bother,
irritate,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
disturb,
distress,
provoke,
bug (informal),
offend,
needle (informal),
plague,
put out,
tease,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
afflict,
fret,
gall,
agitate,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
displease,
rile,
pique,
peeve (informal),
grate on,
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
get your back up,
put your back up,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of worry
Definition
to annoy or bother
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’
Synonyms
trouble,
upset,
harry,
bother,
disturb,
distress,
annoy,
plague,
irritate,
tease,
unsettle,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
badger,
hector,
disquiet,
pester,
vex,
perturb,
tantalize,
importune (formal),
make anxious
in the sense of worry
Definition
a cause for anxiety
Robert's health had always been a worry to his wife.