torture
noun uk/ˈtɔː.tʃər/ us/ˈtɔːr.tʃɚ/
C2 [ U ]拷打;拷问;折磨;虐待
the act of causing great physical or mental pain in order to persuade someone to do something or to give information, or to be cruel to a person or animal
Half of the prisoners died after torture and starvation. 半数的囚犯死于拷打和饥饿。
He revealed the secret under torture. 在严刑拷打之下他吐露了秘密。
C1 [ C or U ] informal折磨，煎熬
a very unpleasant experience
The rush-hour traffic was sheer torture as usual. 交通高峰期像往常一样简直就是一种煎熬。
- More examples
- Even under torture, he refused to deny his faith.
- They used sleep deprivation as a form of torture.
- Human rights campaigners have discovered documentary evidence of torture.
- She was subjected to torture and lengthy interrogations.
- The torture failed to break the prisoner's spirit.
torture
verb [ T ] uk/ˈtɔː.tʃər/ us/ˈtɔːr.tʃɚ/
C2 拷打;拷问;折磨;虐待
to cause great physical or mental pain to someone intentionally
It is claimed that the officers tortured a man to death in a city police station. 据称在一所市警察局里警察将一名男子拷打致死。
使精神上受到折磨;使痛苦;使苦恼
to cause mental pain
He tortured himself for years with the thought that he could have stopped the boy from running into the road. 他本可以阻止那个男孩跑到马路上去的想法多年来一直折磨着他。
- More examples
- He was tortured in prison.
- They were tortured until they revealed where the weapons were hidden.
- If they catch him, they will torture him.
- As a child, he liked to torture insects.