English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
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adj

torturous

TAWT-shuh-ruhs
adj
1
Extremely painful or agonizing.
"The final mile of the marathon felt torturous."
"It was a torturous wait for the test results."

How to Use Torturous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCausing intense pain or discomfort, physically or emotionally.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "tortuous," which describes something winding or full of twists and turns (like a road), not something painful.

Easily confused with
tortuous

Word Forms

more torturous comparative, most torturous superlative

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The final mile of the marathon felt _____.

Etymology

From Middle English torterous, ultimately traced to Latin tortura, "torture."

Rhymes for torturous

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