tor|ture

tor|ture «TR chuhr», noun, verb, -tured, -tur|ing.

–n.

1. the act or fact of inflicting very severe pain. Torture was formerly used to make people give evidence about crimes, or to make them confess.

2. a) a very severe pain or suffering; agony: »

She suffered tortures from a toothache.

SYNONYM(S): anguish, misery, distress. b) a cause of severe pain or suffering: »

The sight of his sick brother was torture to him.

3. Figurative. a violent and continuous twisting, pushing, or shaking that taxes a thing to the limit: »

the torture of a boat by pounding seas.

–v.t.

1. to cause very severe pain or suffering to; torment: »

That cruel boy tortures animals. The fear of failure tortured him.

SYNONYM(S): rack, persecute, distress. See syn. under torment. (Cf. ↑torment)

2. Figurative. to twist the meaning or form of: »

to torture a word, sentence, or idea.

SYNONYM(S): strain, distort, pervert.

3. Figurative. to strain, twist, or force out of its natural form: »

Winds tortured the trees. An early Victorian room…full…of twisted and tortured mahogany (Arnold Bennett).

4. to puzzle or perplex greatly: »

a mind tortured by problems.

╂[< Middle French torture, learned borrowing from Late Latin tortūra < Latin torquēre to twist]

–tor´tur|er, noun.