Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of torture

27 similar words

Another word for torture is smart. Other synonyms of torture are grief, pain, hardship, anguish and trouble.

Synonyms and similar words for torture

nounThe infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment...

nounSevere pain or anguish, of mind or body.

  • anguishExtreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress; an emotional state caused by intense misery or suffering.
  • rendA violent separation of parts.
  • difficulty
  • distress
  • griefSuffering, hardship.
  • hardshipDifficulty or trouble; hard times.
  • painThe condition or fact of suffering or anguish especially mental, as opposed to pleasure; torment; distress.
  • smartMental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.
  • tormentAny extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.
  • troubleThe state of being troubled, disturbed, or distressed mentally; unease, disquiet.
  • misery dialectal
  • wark dialectal

verbTo intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone), usually with the aim of forcing...

  • afflictTo cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
  • aggrieveTo cause someone to feel pain or sorrow to; to afflict.
  • agonizeTo cause agony or anguish in someone.
  • dere British, dialectalTo hurt; harm; injure; wound.
  • excruciateTo inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture.
  • hurt
  • irritateTo induce pain in (all or part of a body or organism).
  • pangTo cause to have great pain or suffering; to torment, to torture.
  • pineTo inflict pain upon; to torment.
  • rackTo cause (someone) to suffer pain.
  • wring figurativelyTo cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
  • ache literary, rareTo cause someone or something to suffer pain.
  • throe obsoleteTo cause (someone) to feel throes, as if in childbirth; to put in agony.

nounMore synonyms

  • enhanced interrogation US, euphemisticThe practice of using techniques normally considered torture that are claimed not to be torture according to a...

Meaning of torture

  1. noun The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.
  2. noun Sexual activity involving the infliction of pain to a certain body part or in a certain manner.
  3. noun Severe pain or anguish, of mind or body.

Full definition of torture

torture in other languages

Questions about synonyms of torture

What is another word for torture?
Torture has 27 synonyms on Word.ws, such as smart, grief, pain, hardship, anguish, trouble and torment.
What does torture mean?
Torture means the infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: torture (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of torture.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/torture. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.