torment

Very great physical pain or mental suffering.

• Her guilt caused endless torment.
• He lived in torment after the accident.
• The medicine finally relieved the torment of her headaches.

How to use it: the torment of something (He could not escape the torment of his memories.)

Similar words: agony, anguish, misery

Common phrases: mental torment, in torment, torment of something

The deliberate use of severe pain to punish someone or force them to speak.

• The prisoners suffered cruel torment.
• The captors used torment to force a confession.
• The account describes the torment inflicted with a wooden rack.

Similar words: torture

Common phrases: inflict torment, suffer torment, cruel torment

To make someone suffer greatly through pain, fear, worry, or repeated cruel treatment.

• The older boys tormented him.
• She was tormented by guilt for years.
• Don't torment yourself with questions you cannot answer.

How to use it: be tormented by something (She was tormented by memories of the crash.); torment someone with something (The children tormented him with cruel jokes.)

Similar words: torture, plague, harass

Opposites: comfort, soothe

Common phrases: torment someone, torment an animal, torment yourself