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   Tor·ture

   /ˈtôrCHər/

   

   noun

   • 1. the action or practice of inflicting severe pain or suffering on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something: "the torture of political prisoners" Similar infliction of painabusetormentill treatmentmaltreatmentharsh treatmentpunishmentpersecution
   • ▪ great physical or mental suffering or anxiety: "the torture I've gone through because of loving you so" Similar tormentagonysufferingpainanguishmiserydistressheartbreakafflictiontraumawretchednesswoehellpurgatoryrare:excruciationOpposite pleasure
   • ▪ a cause of great suffering or anxiety: "dances were absolute torture because I was so small"

   verb

   • 1. inflict severe pain or suffering on: "most of the victims had been brutally tortured" Similar inflict pain oninflict suffering ontormentill-treatabusemistreatmaltreatmolestscourgewoundput someone on the rackpersecutepunishinformal:work overgive someone the worksOpposite relievecomfort
   • ▪ cause great mental suffering or anxiety to: "he was tortured by grief" Similar tormentafflictharrowplaguedistressagonizecause agony tocause suffering toinflict anguish oncrucifyrackpainmortifyworrytroublebeset

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘distortion, twisting’, or a physical disorder characterized by this): via French from late Latin tortura ‘twisting, torment’, from Latin torquere ‘to twist’.

   Scrabble Points: 7

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