tormenting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of tormentingnext
1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally it was a tormenting moment as they helplessly watched the other team score in the final seconds of the game

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in torturing
intensely or unbearably painful a tormenting injury

Synonyms & Similar Words

tormenting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of torment
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormenting
  1. painful
  2. cruel
  3. torturous
  4. agonizing
  5. afflicting
  6. harsh
  7. excruciating
  8. intense
Adjective
  • Bucs on thin ice to make playoffs After positioning themselves to leapfrog the Falcons in the NFC South standings last week, the Buccaneers suffered a painful 26-24 loss to the Cowboys.
    Mike Jones, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Wear sunscreen every day, all day to avoid painful sunburn.
    Will McGough, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • By the time Lovely Runner’s series finale dropped in late May, millions of K-drama fans around the world had become invested in the story of Sol and Sun-jae, desperate to find out if their love could withstand the cruel vagaries of fate.
    Kayti Burt, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Some Rochester residents disagree and find their city’s methods excessively cruel to the birds.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Another year, another torturous Saturday Night Live episode for Colin Jost.
    EW.com, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Previously, when companies came to the government to request data access, there was a torturous process of approvals.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of torturous
Adjective
  • This was spelled out by the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans, which also conceded that such reform would be agonizing.
    Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • For too many of us, the death penalty has only prolonged an already agonizing experience with a lengthy process that leaves us with more pain, despair, and isolation.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of agonizing
Verb
  • The swift growth has been accompanied by stressors afflicting the city’s infrastructure, including its housing supply.
    Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Maylia and Jack are both kids, two of the untold number of minors caught up in one side or the other of the burgeoning fentanyl trade afflicting the US.
    Longreads, Longreads, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of afflicting
Adjective
  • The cast and crew weathered extremely harsh conditions in the New Mexico mountains for 13 months to film this six-episode limited series, which premieres on January 9.
    Dana Feldman, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
  • However, imposing harsher penalties for repeat offenders was what drove support for Proposition 36.
    Koko Nakajima, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • This has been an excruciating season for the Browns, their coach, and especially for Winston, the backup quarterback to starter Deshaun Watson, who has missed most of the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
    Jim Ingraham, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Ewing’s left foot was so badly injured that putting any pressure on it caused excruciating pain, even a year later.
    Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of excruciating
Adjective
  • Media coverage of Walker’s messy private life has been intense.
    Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
  • All that pollution has already triggered more intense storms, wildfires, droughts, and other climate disasters.
    Justine Calma, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of intense
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near tormenting

tormented

tormenting

tormentor

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Cite this Entry

“Tormenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormenting. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tormenting

Nglish: Translation of tormenting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tormenting for Arabic Speakers

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