1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
relatives had to make the torturous decision to disconnect the patient's life-support system
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2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the post-infection treatment for rabies was as notoriously torturous as the disease itself
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Recent Examples of torturous
Minuscule, meticulous, torturous, and incomprehensible to most mortals.
—
Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Harper's Magazine, 22 July 2024
Another year, another torturous Saturday Night Live episode for Colin Jost.
—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, 10 Dec. 2024
His other contributions of 7, 5, 11 and 3 have been hard to watch for their torturous uncertainty.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Harper's Magazine, 22 July 2024
Another year, another torturous Saturday Night Live episode for Colin Jost.
—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, 10 Dec. 2024
His other contributions of 7, 5, 11 and 3 have been hard to watch for their torturous uncertainty.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for torturous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturous
Adjective
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Whether a client hires a single architect to design a house or a team to work on a downtown plan with multiple community stakeholders, the architect-client relationship is rarely one of a painful struggle.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Throughout her childhood, Dee Dee subjected her Gypsy-Rose to years of painful medical procedures that were not needed.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike Western cleansers, which often rely on harsh surfactants or astringent ingredients, Korean ones maintain the skin’s moisture barrier and natural pH balance, says Cho.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
28 Feb. 2025
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The 79-year-old Oscar winner embraces the challenging role of the Dutton family matriarch alongside co-star Harrison Ford, confronting everything from mountain lions to the harsh realities of frontier life.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The first penalty trial featured agonizing testimony from O’Sullivan’s parents, friends and family, and took jurors through the details of the bloody scene in Del Paso Heights with videos, maps, photos and statements from other officers who had been at the scene.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Feb. 2025
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Over in the House, Republicans have been agonizing to come up with at least $2 trillion in spending cuts to pay for Mr. Trump’s fiscal agenda and placate their most conservative members.—
Catie Edmondson,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The other story line tracks the family’s life in Europe before World War II, continues through the horrors his parents endured, the liberation of the death camps, an interlude in Sweden (where Artie was born) and a new, at times excruciating life in America.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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Among the caterpillars Walker has studied are puss, or asp, caterpillars, whose stings can be excruciating.—
Ivan Amato,
Scientific American,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In the background of a Gaza ceasefire, Israel has steadily escalated an intense military operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of residents.—
Mick Krever,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
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The pace is intense and the pressure can be overwhelming.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturous. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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