torture
/ˈtɔːtʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɔːrtʃər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtȯr-chər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtɔː.tʃər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɔːr.tʃɚ/ (ame, ipa)
torture — noun
- torturesingular
- torturesplural
1. the act of deliberately making someone endure extreme bodily or emotional agony,
the act of deliberately making someone endure extreme bodily or emotional agony, often to extract a confession, obtain information, or inflict punishment
The court ruled that the prisoners had been subjected to torture during their detention.
passive: subjected to torture
International law absolutely forbids the use of torture under any circumstances, even in wartime.
collocation: use of torture / under any circumstances
Samir gave a detailed account of the torture he endured while in custody.
Human rights groups documented cases of torture in several detention centers across the region.
- brutality
broader — covers any cruel or violent treatment, not specifically aimed at forcing information
- cruelty
focuses on the infliction of suffering itself, without the specific purpose of coercion
- persecution
systematic mistreatment of a group based on identity, not necessarily physical pain for information
文法句型
subjected to torture
under torture
torture of [person]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in legal and human-rights discourse. The phrase 'under torture' describes the conditions in which a statement was obtained (e.g. 'a confession made under torture').
常見錯誤
2. something that is extremely unpleasant or difficult to deal with, often used to
something that is extremely unpleasant or difficult to deal with, often used to describe a situation that feels almost unbearable
Waiting for the test results was pure torture for Tanvi and her family.
Manuela said the four-hour meeting with no break was absolute torture.
collocation: absolute torture
For a busy person like Caleb, a week without internet access is torture.
Sitting in rush-hour traffic every morning is torture for commuters.
文法句型
be torture
pure/absolute torture
torture to [infinitive]
用法筆記
This is a figurative, informal sense. It does NOT describe actual physical pain — use it for everyday frustrations and annoyances. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to literal suffering or its threat.
常見錯誤
3. the deliberate twisting of words, facts, or arguments so that they appear to mea
the deliberate twisting of words, facts, or arguments so that they appear to mean something very different from what was originally intended
The lawyer's torture of the witness's statement reversed its intended meaning.
Critics accused the journalist of a verbal torture of the politician's speech.
collocation: verbal torture
The court rejected the defence's obvious torture of the contract language as legally invalid.
Adaeze considered his interpretation a torture of the novel's central theme.
- distortion
more common and less harsh in tone; the standard term for twisting meaning
- misrepresentation
focuses on the false picture created, not the act of twisting
- warping
suggests a gradual or organic change rather than deliberate action
文法句型
torture of [something]
verbal torture
a torture of [text/argument]
用法筆記
Uncommon in everyday speech. Mostly found in legal, rhetorical, or literary criticism writing when someone wants to accuse an interpreter of bad faith. The phrase 'a torture of [something]' is the most typical pattern.
torture — verb
- torturepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tortures3rd person singular
- torturing-ing form
- torturedpast simple
1. to intentionally inflict extreme bodily or emotional agony on a person, particul
to intentionally inflict extreme bodily or emotional agony on a person, particularly as a method of coercion, punishment, or extracting a confession
The regime was known to torture political prisoners in secret facilities.
Imran was tortured by the captors for three days before he managed to escape.
passive: was tortured by [agent] for [duration]
The documentary showed how ordinary soldiers were trained to torture suspects.
Élise could not believe that anyone would torture another human being.
- torment
less systematic; can mean causing repeated mental or physical pain without a specific interrogation purpose
- persecute
systematic mistreatment based on identity (race, religion, etc.), not necessarily involving physical pain
- brutalize
to treat in a cruel or violent way; broader than torture and less specific about purpose
文法句型
torture [someone]
be tortured
torture [someone] for [purpose]
用法筆記
The passive form ('be tortured') is extremely common in news and human-rights reporting. The subject of the active form is typically an agent of a state or armed group. This sense takes the patient (person being tortured) as the direct object.
常見錯誤
2. to cause someone to feel great mental pain, worry, or guilt over a period of tim
to cause someone to feel great mental pain, worry, or guilt over a period of time, especially when they keep thinking about something unpleasant that happened
The thought of her failure in the exam tortured Amira for weeks afterward.
pattern: [abstract noun] tortures [someone]
Hiro was tortured by guilt after the harsh argument with his younger brother.
collocation: tortured by guilt
Jiwoo's jealousy tortured her every time she saw the two of them laughing together.
The memory of the accident continued to torture Joshua years after it happened.
Dahlia was tortured by doubts about whether she had made the right career choice.
文法句型
torture [someone]
be tortured by [abstract noun]
[thought/memory/guilt] tortures [someone]
用法筆記
The subject of this sense is usually an abstract noun (thought, memory, guilt, jealousy, doubt) rather than a person. The passive form 'be tortured by [guilt/doubt/remorse]' is more common than the active. Distinguish from verb sense 1, where a person actively tortures someone for a purpose.