TORMENT
Dictionary entry overview: What does torment mean?
• TORMENT (noun)
The noun TORMENT has 6 senses:
1. unbearable physical pain
2. extreme mental distress
3. intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
4. a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented
5. a severe affliction
6. the act of harassing someone
Familiarity information: TORMENT used as a noun is common.
• TORMENT (verb)
The verb TORMENT has 3 senses:
1. torment emotionally or mentally
2. treat cruelly
3. subject to torture
Familiarity information: TORMENT used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• TORMENT (noun)
Meaning:
Unbearable physical pain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
torment; torture
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
hurting; pain (a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder)
Meaning:
Extreme mental distress
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
anguish; torture; torment
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
distress; hurt; suffering (psychological suffering)
Meaning:
Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
agony; torture; torment
Context examples:
an agony of doubt / the torments of the damned
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
hurt; suffering (feelings of mental or physical pain)
Meaning:
A feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
harassment; torment
Context example:
so great was his harassment that he wanted to destroy his tormentors
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
annoyance; chafe; vexation (anger produced by some annoying irritation)
Meaning:
A severe affliction
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Synonyms:
curse; torment
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
affliction (a cause of great suffering and distress)
Meaning:
The act of harassing someone
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
badgering; bedevilment; worrying; torment
Hypernyms ("torment" is a kind of...):
harassment; molestation (the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism)
• TORMENT (verb)
Meaning:
Torment emotionally or mentally
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
torture; torment; excruciate; rack
Hypernyms (to "torment" is one way to...):
anguish; hurt; pain (cause emotional anguish or make miserable)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Sentence example:
The bad news will torment him
Meaning:
Treat cruelly
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
bedevil; dun; rag; crucify; frustrate; torment
Context example:
The children tormented the stuttering teacher
Hypernyms (to "torment" is one way to...):
beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "torment"):
madden (drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves)
hamstring (make ineffective or powerless)
badger; beleaguer; bug; pester; tease (annoy persistently)
oppress; persecute (cause to suffer)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Meaning:
Subject to torture
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Synonyms:
excruciate; torture; torment
Context example:
The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible
Hypernyms (to "torment" is one way to...):
injure; wound (cause injuries or bodily harm to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "torment"):
rack (torture on the rack)
martyr; martyrise; martyrize (torture and torment like a martyr)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
Sentence example:
They want to torment the prisoners
