tormented 1 of 2

adjective

as in tortured

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tormented

2 of 2

verb

past tense of torment
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tormented
Verb
The lush grass blanketing this scenic Texas field belies the grisly horrors discovered underneath and the agonizing mystery that has tormented families for decades – until now. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 To this day, Mischelle Lawless' family remains tormented by the mystery of her senseless murder. — Peter Henderson, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Randy Arozarena already had tormented the Cubs twice in the game before stepping into the box in the ninth. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Fresh from taking six wickets in the first innings, Australia's Mitchell Starc's again tormented Bangladesh's top order as the tourists were reduced to 39-3 at lunch in its second innings on Day 2 of a fast-moving second cricket test. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 Noxious smoke and an influx of rats and flies attracted to rotting meat stored at the facility have tormented neighbors. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 The sound of the bell which, until yesterday, had tormented Kikuko, was today her ally. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Or suppose you’re being tormented by someone in power, but lack the ability to explain to others—or even to yourself—exactly how you’re being wronged. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 The trailer shows Depp as Scrooge tormented by the terrifying spirits of Christmas, haunting him throughout the Christmas season. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormented
  1. tortured
  2. plagued
  3. frustrated
  4. persecuted
  5. harassed
  6. afflicted
  7. harried
  8. besieged
Adjective
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Eve resists scream-queen clichés, but Gemma’s boringly typical tortured backstory is as flat as her wan chemistry with Nick.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • Garbage’s set was plagued by technical difficulties, but singer Shirley Manson kept her cool, joking that this was just the kind of thing the band was used to.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of plagued
Adjective
  • Alves says that some of the people most frustrated with what’s going on lack that lived experience.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Miller’s hands dropped quickly to his side in frustrated dejection.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • García Luna pledged to restore independence and public confidence in the Public Ministry and began reviewing cases involving officials, journalists, and others who alleged that they had been politically persecuted under the previous administration.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Many Marranos persecuted by the Inquisition did secretly maintain a Jewish identity.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
  • For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Definition of harassed
Verb
  • It’s typically diagnosed in adults — only about five births each year are afflicted by the condition nationwide.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Weiss has since learned he and his uncles weren’t uniquely afflicted.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of afflicted
Adjective
  • The Hawk fire forced the harried evacuation of more than 40,000 people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Forte is so-right as the human foil for the harried cartoon misbehaving that goes on both in and out of the courtroom.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of harried
Verb
  • In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of besieged

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Cite this Entry

“Tormented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormented. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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