torture

Definitions

1. The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish
2. The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.
   countable, uncountable
3. Sexual activity involving the infliction of pain to a certain body part or in a certain manner
4. Sexual activity involving the infliction of pain to a certain body part or in a certain manner.
   countable, in-compounds, uncountable
5. Severe pain or anguish, of mind or body
6. Severe pain or anguish, of mind or body.
   countable, uncountable
7. An unpleasant sensation or its infliction: embarrassment, heartache, etc.
   countable, uncountable
8. An unpleasant sensation or its infliction: embarrassment, heartache, etc
9. To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone), usually with the aim of forcing confessions or punishing them

Equivalents

57 more languages

العربيةالتّعذيبتعذيبصعدعذابعذبغي+ 3 more

Azərbaycan diliəzabişgəncəişgəncə vermək

Беларускаякатава́ннекатавацьму́чыць

Българскимъча

বাংলাযন্ত্রণা

Bosanskitorturaмучититортура

Catalàtorturatorturar

Češtinamučednictvímučenímučittorturatýrání+ 2 more

Cymraegartaith

Dansktorteretorturtorturere

Ελληνικάβασανίζωβασανιστήριαβασανιστήριομαρτύριοτυραννία+ 2 more

Esperantotorturitorturo

Eestipiinamapiinamine

Euskaratortura

فارسیشکنجهشکنجه دادنعذاب

Suomikiduttaakidutus

Gaeilgepianadh

Gàidhligcràdh

Galegotormentotorturatorturar

ગુજરાતીત્રાસ

עבריתעינויענה

हिन्दीयंत्रणायातना

Hrvatskitorturaмучититортура

Magyarkínozkínzás

Հայերենխոշտանգելխոշտանգումկտտանք

Bahasa Indonesiapenyiksaan

Íslenskapynting

Italianotorturaretorture

日本語拷拷問拷問する責め+ 1 more

ქართულიწამება

Қазақ тіліазапазаптауқинау

ភាសាខ្មែរទារុណកម្ម

한국어고문고문하다

Kurdîezîyetîşkence

Кыргызчакыйноо

Latinaanimadversuscarnificinacruciabilitascruciāmencruciamentumcruciatiocruciātuscruciatuscruciocruxexemplummacerosuppliciumtorqueotortiotortura+ 13 more

Lietuviųkamuotikankinimas

Latviešumocītspīdzināšana

Македонскиизмачимачењемачитормозтормозењетортура+ 3 more

Монголэрүү

Nederlandsfolterenfolteringmartelenmartelingpijniging+ 2 more

Polskikatowaćkaźńmęczyćtorturatorturować+ 2 more

Portuguêssuplíciotormentotorturatorturartorture+ 2 more

Românăchinchinuitortura

Русскийистяза́ниеистязатьмуче́ниемучитьпыта́тьпытка+ 3 more

Slovenčinamučeniemučiť

Shqipmundimmundoj

Српскиtorturaмучититортура

Svenskapest och pinatorteratortyr

తెలుగుచిత్రహింస

ไทยการทรมานทรมานทารุณกรรม

Türkmençeazap

Türkçeeziyeteziyet etmekişkence

ئۇيغۇرچەئازاب

Українськакатува́ннякатува́тимучититорту́ра+ 1 more

O'zbekchaazob

Tiếng Việtcực hìnhnhục hìnhTrà Tân

Examples

“People confess to anything under torture.”

“Using large dogs to attack bound, hand-cuffed prisoners is clearly torture.”

“What new tortures await me?”

“If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this still doesn’t change⟳ the meaning of the word torture, which Cheney and the public know⟳ perfectly well. But cognitive linguists like⟳ Lakoff (1996) remind⟳ us that the public can be manipulated into believing that torture is “merely” an enhanced interrogation technique and thus does not protest⟳.”

“Santorum, in a comment⟳ regarding Senator John McCain's repudiation of torture, stated, "He doesn't understand⟳ how enhanced interrogation works. I mean⟳, you break⟳ somebody, and after they've broken they become⟳ cooperative" (Summers 2011).”

“cock and ball torture”

“tickle⟳ torture”

“Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!”

“Coventry City midfielder Josh Ruffels described his 11 months out injured as 'absolute torture' after the goalless draw⟳ with Derby County Under-21s. (http://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/article/eleven-months-of-absolute-torture-760652.aspx)”

CEFR level