torturous
UK: ˈtɔːtʃərəs | US: ˈtɔːrtʃərəs
adj. causing extreme physical or mental suffering; agonizing
adj. excessively lengthy or complex; painfully tedious
torturous = tortur<inflict pain> + ous<adjective suffix>
- tortur (from Latin tortura, meaning "twisting, torment," derived from torquere "to twist")
- ous (adjective-forming suffix indicating "full of" or "characterized by")
Etymology Origin:
The word torturous traces back to the Latin torquere ("to twist"), reflecting the idea of physical or mental twisting as a form of torment. Over time, tortura evolved into Old French torture, and by the late 16th century, English adopted torturous to describe anything excruciating or excessively prolonged. The suffix -ous reinforces its adjectival nature, emphasizing a state of suffering.
The climb up the mountain was torturous due to the scorching heat.
She endured a torturous wait for the medical test results.
The lecture was so torturous that half the audience fell asleep.
His recovery from the injury was a torturous process.
The novel’s torturous plot twists left readers exhausted.