Torment Meaning
/ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA catapult or other kind of war-engine.
nounTorture, originally as inflicted by an instrument of torture.
Sentence Examples
I was a constant torment to my parents.
He is a constant torment to me.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prisoner endured years of mental ____ due to harsh treatment.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The loud noise from the construction site was a constant ____ for the people who were trying to work nearby today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum (“something operated by twisting”), from torquere (“to twist”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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 Rio Ferdinand."
— 2013 September 22, Phil McNulty, “Man City 4-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
"But the divine children were both noisy and mischievous. They tormented their venerable grandmother with their shrill uproar and tricky behaviour."
— 1913, Lewis Spence, chapter V, in The Myths of Mexico and Peru:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prisoner endured years of mental ____ due to harsh treatment.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The loud noise from the construction site was a constant ____ for the people who were trying to work nearby today.