Tormenting
/tɔrˈmɛntɪŋ/
verbadjectiveB2present participle
Definition
Tormenting means causing strong pain, worry, or suffering to someone. It can be physical pain, like hurting the body, or emotional pain, like making someone feel very sad or stressed. When used as an adjective, it describes something that causes this strong discomfort or distress.
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See It in Action
Causing strong mental or physical pain or suffering (verb)
- •The memory of the accident kept tormenting him for years.
- •She was tormenting herself with worries about the future.
- •The loud noise was tormenting the neighbors all night.
Describing something that causes deep distress or suffering (adjective)
- •The tormenting heat made it hard to sleep.
- •He felt tormenting guilt after the mistake.
- •The tormenting thoughts would not leave her mind.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "tormenting" like "hurting," but much stronger and often about feelings or mind, not just body
- ✓Picture a storm inside your head that doesn’t stop, making you feel restless and unhappy
- ✓It's the feeling when a problem keeps bothering you so much you can't focus on anything else
- ✓Sounds like "tor-MENT-ing" → imagine a "mental" (mind) weight that pulls you down hard and won’t let go
- ✓Think of stories where a character is haunted by bad memories or worries that keep tormenting them day and night
- ✓NOT like "annoying" (small, short problems), tormenting is deep and long-lasting pain or worry
- ✓NOT like "pain" (usually physical), tormenting often means mental or emotional suffering, but can be physical too
- ✓NOT like "comforting" (making better), tormenting is the opposite: causing distress or trouble
Try Other Words
- •Torturing: causing strong physical or mental pain (Use when pain is extreme and often physical)
- •Disturbing: causing worry or upset (Use when something makes you feel uneasy or worried but less strong than tormenting)
- •Annoying: causing mild irritation (Use for small or short problems)
- •Troubling: causing worry or concern (Use when something causes worry but not extreme suffering)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "torment" + suffix "-ing" (shows ongoing action or present participle)
- •Etymology: From Latin "tormentum," meaning an instrument of torture or a cause of pain
- •Historical development: Originally meant physical torture, later expanded to mental or emotional suffering
- •Modern usage: Used for both physical and emotional pain or suffering, often describing ongoing or repeated action or state
Reflect & Connect
•How do different types of tormenting (physical vs emotional) affect people in different ways?
•Can something tormenting ever help a person grow or learn, or is it always harmful?
Fill in the blanks
1.The memory of the failure kept tormenting her ___ night and day, making it hard to focus.
2.When someone is tormenting another person, they usually want to cause ___ or distress.
3.Unlike small problems, tormenting worries often last for a ___ time and feel very strong.
4.She was tormenting herself by thinking about all the things she could have done ___.
5.The tormenting noise was so loud that the neighbors could not ___ any sleep.
6.Tormenting feelings often come with strong ___ like guilt or fear.
7.When a person is tormenting others, they are causing pain ___ than just annoying them.