tortured
UK: ˈtɔːtʃəd | US: ˈtɔːrtʃərd
adj. experiencing severe physical or mental suffering
vt. (past tense of "torture") subjected someone to extreme pain or distress
The root "tort" comes from Latin torquere (to twist), reflecting the physical twisting of limbs in medieval torture. The suffix "-ure" forms nouns/verbs (e.g., "pressure"), while "-ed" marks past tense/participle. The word evolved from literal physical torment to include psychological anguish, retaining the core idea of inflicted suffering.
The prisoner gave a tortured confession after days of interrogation.
Her tortured expression revealed hidden grief.
The artist’s tortured paintings reflected his inner turmoil.
He tortured himself with memories of past mistakes.
The novel depicts the tortured lives of war survivors.