Torment
noun / verb /ˈtɔːmɛnt/ — Severe and repeated suffering — pain that will not settle, that keeps returning.
Definition
Severe physical or mental suffering; a cause of such suffering; (as verb) to cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering.
Beyond the definition
Torment differs from agony in its quality of duration and repetition — agony is acute, torment is sustained. The tormented mind is one that cannot find rest. The word comes from the Latin for the twisting rack — suffering as a thing that turns you.
Origin & history
From Old French torment — suffering (from Latin tormentum: an instrument of torture, from torquere: to twist). The twisting — torment is suffering that rotates, that doesn't hold still.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The torment of guilt: not the sharp moment but the slow return, the question that won't stop.
She had been tormented by the decision for months — every good outcome purchased at some cost.
Torment has a particular quality: it comes back. You think it's done, and then it turns again.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Torment” when the meaning fits your context: Severe physical or mental suffering; a cause of such suffering; (as verb) to cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering.
Synonyms
Antonyms
comfort, peace, relief
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Deep Exhaustion in Public
An adult sits on a bench, head in their hands, as a crowd of people moves chaotically around them.
The isolation of the person within the chaotic crowd illustrates their mental torment, as the heavy, exhausted posture suggests a severe state of distress. They appear to be undergoing deep suffering, disconnected from the energy around them by the burden they carry.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Torment" mean?
Torment is noun / verb meaning: Severe and repeated suffering — pain that will not settle, that keeps returning.. Severe physical or mental suffering; a cause of such suffering; (as verb) to cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering.
Where does the word "Torment" come from?
From Old French torment — suffering (from Latin tormentum: an instrument of torture, from torquere: to twist). The twisting — torment is suffering that rotates, that doesn't hold still.