torment

Noun

torment (countable and uncountable, plural torments)

1. (obsolete) A catapult or other kind of war-engine.
2. Torture, originally as inflicted by an instrument of torture.
   • I've gone through living torment.
3. Any extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.
   • He behaved bitter from the torments of the divorce.
   • They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 4:24

   Synonyms:

   misery, pain, wark, anguish, rend, difficulty, distress, grief, hardship, smart

Verb

IPA/tɔː(ɹ)ˈmɛnt/

torment (third-person singular simple present torments, present participle tormenting, simple past and past participle tormented)

1. (transitive) To cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex but weaker than to torture.)
   • The child tormented the flies by pulling their wings off.
   • Moyes, who never won a derby at Liverpool in 11 years as Everton manager, did not find the Etihad any more forgiving as City picked United apart in midfield, where Toure looked in a different class to United's £27.5m new boy Marouane Fellaini, and in defence as Aguero tormented Nemanja Vidic and...2013 September 22, Phil McNulty, “Man City 4-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport

   Synonyms:

   afflict, torture, excruciate, ache, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, dere, hurt, irritate