Torture

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: tor + ture
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)tʃə(r)
• Homophones: torcher some accents

Origin

From Late Latin tortura ("a twisting, wreathing, of bodily pain, a griping colic, Middle Latin pain inflicted by judicial or ecclesiastical authority as a means of persuasion, torture"), from Latin tortus, past participle of torquere ("to twist").

Full definition of torture

Noun

1. Intentional causing of somebody's experiencing agony.Using large dogs to attack bound, hand-cuffed prisoners is clearly torture.In every war there are acts of torture that cause the world to shudder.People confess to anything under torture.
2. (chiefly literary) The "suffering of the heart" imposed by one on another, as in personal relationships.Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!

Derived terms

• torture chamber
• torture warrant

Verb

1. (transitive) To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone).People who torture often have sadistic tendencies.

Derived terms

• torturee
• torturer