torture

Word family

tor·ture1 /ˈtɔːtʃə $ ˈtɔːrtʃər/ noun [countableC, uncountableU]

1 HURT/CAUSE PAINCRUELan act of deliberately hurting someone in order to force them to tell you something, to punish them, or to be cruel 拷打，拷问；酷刑

He died after five days of excruciating torture.

遭受了五天的严刑拷打之后，他死了。

2 SUFFERsevere physical or mental suffering 〔身心所受的〕折磨，煎熬

The waiting must be torture for you.

这样的等待对你来说肯定是一种煎熬。

Examples from the Corpus

torture• Heinz suggested that laws and constitutions of countries should be strengthened to make international declarations against torture into enforceable law.• Barbara was subjected to heinous torture, yet refused to disavow her faith.• Also patron of torture victims; he is invoked against foot trouble.• I never particularly relished torture, but I resigned myself to it when I arrived in Algiers..• They are not the reasons for the torture that I would be suffering in his place.• I should have been spared the torture of separation from my father during his last moments...• Most of the reported deaths, however, were due to torture in both military barracks and police stations.• The militias have been know to use torture to get people to confess.• What torture parent's lectures are for children!

torture2 verb [transitiveT]

1 HURT/CAUSE PAINto deliberately hurt someone in order to force them to give you information, to punish them, or to be cruel 拷打，拷问；对…施以酷刑

Political opponents of the regime may be tortured.

这个政权的政治异己可能会遭受酷刑。

2 SUFFERif a feeling or knowledge tortures you, it makes you suffer a lot mentally 使〔精神上〕受到折磨，使痛苦；使苦恼 SYN torment

Rachel sat alone for hours at home, tortured by jealousy.

雷切尔独自在家里坐了好几个小时，备受嫉妒心的折磨。

—torturer noun [countableC]

Examples from the Corpus

torture• Several of the prisoners confirmed that they had been tortured.• Piotr Jaroszewicz, 83, had been strangled at home near Warsaw after apparently being tortured.• When confronted with the messiah being humiliated, tortured and killed, Peter refuses to listen.• He is drawn to the Ring and his thoughts are tortured by it.• He is still tortured by memories of the attack.• His jailers realized that his ransom would exceed those of the other prisoners, so Raymond was continuously tortured for preaching.• And perms, our straight hair tortured into frizz for the Christmas or Easter gathering and the requisite smiling photograph.• Anticipated in December and enjoyed in January, February citrus can torture the souls of tree owners.

Origin torture1

(1500-1600) French Late Latin tortura, from Latin tortus “twisted”, from torquere; → TORQUE

Chinese

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