<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.</li><li>a method of inflicting such pain.</li><li>Often tortures.</li><li>the pain or suffering caused or undergone.</li><li>extreme anguish of body or mind; agony.</li><li>a cause of severe pain or anguish.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) tortured, torturing.</li><li>to subject to torture.</li><li>to afflict with severe pain of body or mind: My back is torturing me.</li><li>to force or extort by torture: We'll torture the truth from his lips!</li><li>to twist, force, or bring into some unnatural position or form: trees tortured by storms.</li><li>to distort or pervert (language, meaning, etc.).</li></ul>