English noun: torture | |||
1. | torture (feeling) extreme mental distress | ||
Synonyms | anguish, torment | ||
Broader (hypernym) | distress, hurt, suffering | ||
2. | torture (state) unbearable physical pain | ||
Synonyms | torment | ||
Broader (hypernym) | hurting, pain | ||
3. | torture (feeling) intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain | ||
Samples | An agony of doubt. The torments of the damned. | ||
Synonyms | agony, torment | ||
Broader (hypernym) | hurt, suffering | ||
4. | torture (act) the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean | ||
Synonyms | distortion, overrefinement, straining, twisting | ||
Broader (hypernym) | falsification, misrepresentation | ||
5. | torture (act) the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason | ||
Samples | It required unnatural torturing to extract a confession. | ||
Synonyms | torturing | ||
Broader (hypernym) | persecution | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bastinado, boot, burning, crucifixion, dismemberment, electric shock, excruciation, falanga, genital torture, judicial torture, kia quen, kittee, nail pulling, nail removal, picket, piquet, prolonged interrogation, rack, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, strapado, strappado, taking apart | ||
English verb: torture | |||
1. | torture (emotion) torment emotionally or mentally | ||
Examples | The bad news will torture him | ||
Synonyms | excruciate, rack, torment | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | anguish, hurt, pain | ||
2. | torture (body) subject to torture | ||
Samples | The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible. | ||
Examples | They want to torture the prisoners | ||
Synonyms | excruciate, torment | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | injure, wound | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | martyr, martyrise, martyrize, rack | ||