1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
relatives had to make the torturous decision to disconnect the patient's life-support system
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2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the post-infection treatment for rabies was as notoriously torturous as the disease itself
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Recent Examples of torturous
The gleeful cruelty contained in these images is downright gut-churning, and makes for a necessary foundation to later moments of the elderly, fugitive Mengele being forced to confront his torturous wrongdoings.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2025
Transitions and transformations can be fraught, even torturous.
—Nicole Stanton, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
In contrast to the long, drawn-out, gradually intensifying torturous death scenes of the Final Destination franchise, this one emphasizes the swift and sudden unpredictability of Death’s design.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The Elephant Man and Dune then mark Lynch’s entry into the Hollywood system, with the former a critical triumph and the latter a torturous misfire that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2025
Transitions and transformations can be fraught, even torturous.
—Nicole Stanton, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
In contrast to the long, drawn-out, gradually intensifying torturous death scenes of the Final Destination franchise, this one emphasizes the swift and sudden unpredictability of Death’s design.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The Elephant Man and Dune then mark Lynch’s entry into the Hollywood system, with the former a critical triumph and the latter a torturous misfire that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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And sometimes, that transformation, though painful, can deepen our capacity for compassion, connection, and appreciation for the precious gift of life itself.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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For millions of Americans, the road to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is slow and painful, sought only when symptoms become unmistakable.—
Louise Jacobsen Fisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Instead of internalising every harsh comment, try reframing it as information about their inner world rather than a reflection of your worth.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Of the treaty’s three American signers—John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin—Franklin was said to have taken the harshest line against the loyalists.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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But by the end of Episode 7, viewers may very well be repeating the debate about Ellie, whose ultimate fate makes for an agonizing cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until Season 3 premieres (at least).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 May 2025
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The Cabinet confirmation hearings have been agonizing for congressional Democrats, who have watched in horror as Donald Trump has pushed through one outlandish candidate after another.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
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The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Former New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola covered the Knicks for the hometown newspaper and remembers the slow and excruciating decay at Madison Square Garden.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
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My cancer had invaded my bones, causing excruciating pain.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The auto-revive for solo players on Night Lords is to combat the intense difficulties of those fights where a single wrong move can be death.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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But Tranter and Bartlett said Trump may settle roughly into this range of having an approval rating between 43 percent and 47 percent given the intense polarization of the country, as has been common in the past couple administrations.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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