Hypertext Webster Gateway: "torment"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Torment
Gr. basanos (Matt. 4:24), the "touch-stone" of justice; hence
inquisition by torture, and then any disease which racks and
tortures the limbs.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Torment \Tor*ment"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {tormented}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {tormenting}.] [OF. tormenter, F. tourmenter.]
1. To put to extreme pain or anguish; to inflict excruciating
misery upon, either of body or mind; to torture. `` Art
thou come hither to torment us before our time? '' --Matt.
viii. 29.
2. To pain; to distress; to afflict.
Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. --Matt. viii.
6.
3. To tease; to vex; to harass; as, to be tormented with
importunities, or with petty annoyances. [Colloq.]
4. To put into great agitation. [R.] ``[They], soaring on
main wing, tormented all the air.'' --Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Torment \Tor"ment\, n. [OF. torment, F. tourment, fr. L.
tormentum an engine for hurling missiles, an instrument of
torture, a rack, torture, fr. torquere to turn, to twist,
hurl. See {Turture}.]
1. (Mil. Antiq.) An engine for casting stones. [Obs.] --Sir
T. Elyot.
2. Extreme pain; anguish; torture; the utmost degree of
misery, either of body or mind. --Chaucer.
The more I see Pleasures about me, so much more I
feel Torment within me. --Milton.
3. That which gives pain, vexation, or misery.
They brought unto him all sick people that were
taken with divers diseases and torments. --Matt. iv.
24.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
torment
n 1: unbearable physical pain [syn: {torture}]
2: extreme mental distress [syn: {anguish}, {torture}]
3: intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical
pain; "an agony of doubt"; "the torments of the damned"
[syn: {agony}, {torture}]
4: a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented;
"so great was his harassment that he wanted to destroy his
tormentors" [syn: {harassment}]
5: a severe affliction [syn: {curse}]
6: the act of harassing someone [syn: {badgering}, {worrying},
{bedevilment}]
v 1: torment emotionally or mentally [syn: {torture}, {excruciate},
{rack}]
2: annoy constantly [syn: {rag}, {bedevil}, {crucify}, {dun}, {frustrate}]
3: subject to torture [syn: {torture}, {excruciate}]
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