torment

torment 折磨，痛苦

来自拉丁语 torquere,扭曲，词源同 turn,torque.-ment,名词后缀。引申词义折磨，痛苦。

torment

torment: [13] The notion underlying torment is of an instrument of torture worked by ‘twisting’. The word was borrowed from Latin tormentum ‘instrument of torture’, hence ‘torture, great suffering’. This was a contraction of an earlier *torquementum, a derivative of torquēre ‘twist’, which has also given English contort [15], extort [16], retort [16], torch, torque [19], torsion [15], tort [14], tortuous [15], and torture [16] (literally ‘twisting’).
=> contort, extort, retort, thwart, torch, torque, torsion, tort, torture

torment (n.)

c. 1300, "the inflicting of torture," also "state of great suffering, pain, distress," from Old French torment "torture, pain, anguish, suffering distress" (11c., Modern French tourment), from Latin tormentum "twisted cord, sling; clothes-press; instrument for hurling stones," also "instrument of torture, a rack," figuratively "anguish, pain, torment," from torquere "to twist" (see torque (n.)).

torment (v.)

c. 1300, "inflict torture on, distress," from Old French tormenter "torture, torment, oppress, agitate" (12c.), from Medieval Latin tormentare "to torment, to twist," from Latin tormentum (see torment (n.)). Related: Tormented; tormenting.

1. Outdoors, mosquitoes and midges were a perpetual torment.

在户外，蚊子和蠓虫永远让人不得安生。

2. the cries of a man in torment

一个备受折磨的人的喊叫声

3. Love is a sweet tyranny , because the lover endures his torment willingly.

爱情是甜蜜的暴政, 情人甘心忍受它的折磨.

4. It was wicked of you to torment the poor girl.

你折磨那可怜的女孩,真是恶劣.

5. He has never suffered the torment of rejection.

他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦.

【sorrow, agony, grief, anguish, torment, distress, misery, torture】
这组词都有“苦恼、痛苦”的意思，其区别是：
sorrow: 语气比grief弱，指因不幸、损失或失望等所产生的悲伤。
agony: 侧重指精神或身体痛苦的剧烈程度。
grief: 指由某种特殊处境或原因造成的强烈的感情上的苦恼与悲痛。
anguish: 指精神方面令人难以忍受的极度痛苦；用于身体时，多指局部或暂时的痛苦。
torment: 强调烦恼或痛苦的长期性。
distress: 多指因思想上的压力紧张、恐惧、忧虑等所引起的精神上的痛苦，也可指某种灾难带来的痛苦。
misery: 着重痛苦的可悲状态，多含不幸、可怜或悲哀的意味。
torture: 语气比toment强，指在精神或肉体上受到的折磨所产生的痛苦。