mass noun
1- the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something酷刑; 刑讯; 拷问。
1.1
- great physical or mental suffering or anxiety（肉体或精神上的）折磨; 忧虑; 痛苦：
the torture I've gone through because of loving you so.
我因如此爱你而遭受的折磨。
1.2
- a cause of such suffering or anxiety痛苦（或忧虑）的原因：
dances were absolute torture because I was so small.
因为我个子太矮, 所以跳舞成了件极痛苦的事。
with obj.
1- inflict severe pain on拷打; 使痛苦; 折磨：
most of the victims had been brutally tortured.
绝大多数受害者曾遭受酷刑。
1.1
- cause great mental suffering or anxiety to造成精神上的巨大痛苦; 使忧虑：
he was tortured by grief.
他极为悲痛。
派生词
torturer
noun词源
late Middle English （in the sense 'distortion, twisting', or a physical disorder characterized by this）： via French from late Latin tortura 'twisting, torment', from Latin torquere 'to twist'.