English

Noun

torture ‎(countable and uncountable, plural tortures)

1. Intentional causing of somebody's experiencing agony.

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

   In every war there are acts of torture that cause the world to shudder.

   People confess to anything under torture.

2. (chiefly literary) The "suffering of the heart" imposed by one on another, as in personal relationships.

   Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!

Derived terms

• torture chamber
• torture warrant

Related terms

• tart
• tort
• torta

Translations

Verb

torture ‎(third-person singular simple present tortures, present participle torturing, simple past and past participle tortured)

1. (transitive) To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone).

   People who torture often have sadistic tendencies.

Translations

Derived terms

• torturee
• torturer

Asturian

Verb

torture

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of torturar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of torturar

French

Etymology

From Latin tortura, from torqueo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔʁ.tyʁ/
• Rhymes: -yʁ
• Homophones: torturent, tortures

Noun

torture f ‎(plural tortures)

1. torture
   • 1837, Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche^{fr.Wikisource}, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Volume I, Chapter I:

     Avec ces propos et d’autres semblables, le pauvre gentilhomme perdait le jugement. Il passait les nuits et se donnait la torture pour les comprendre, pour les approfondir, pour leur tirer le sens des entrailles, ce qu’Aristote lui-même n’aurait pu faire, s’il fût ressuscité tout exprès pour cela.

     With these passages and other similar ones, the poor gentleman lost his judgement. He spent his nights and gave himself torture to understand them, to consider them more deeply, to take from them their deepest meaning, which Aristotle himself would not have been able to do, had he been resurrected for that very purpose.

Verb

torture

1. first-person singular present indicative of torturer
2. third-person singular present indicative of torturer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of torturer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of torturer
5. second-person singular imperative of torturer

Italian

Noun

torture f

1. plural of tortura

Anagrams

• rotture, rutterò, ruttore

Latin

Participle

tortūre

1. vocative masculine singular of tortūrus

Portuguese

Verb

torture

1. First-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of torturar
2. Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você^?) present subjunctive of torturar
3. Third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of torturar
4. Third-person singular (você) negative imperative of torturar

Spanish

Verb

torture

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of torturar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of torturar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of torturar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of torturar.