tormented
Wracked with pain
Tormented describes someone suffering intense anguish—physical, mental, or emotional.
A tormented soul is wracked by inner demons; a tormented artist channels pain into creation.
The word suggests ongoing distress rather than a single moment of pain: He was tormented by guilt for years.
To be tormented is also to be harassed or plagued: tormented by mosquitoes, tormented by doubts.
Intense mental suffering
- agonyExtreme physical or emotional pain
- despairTotal absence of hope
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- woeGreat sorrow or distress
grief · heartache · sorrow · misery · distress · trauma · desolation · hopelessness
Malevolent supernatural beings
- ghostsSpirits of the deceased
- spiritsLiquor or apparitions
- possessedHad or was inhabited
- plaguedPersistently afflicted
cursed · haunted · visions · apparitions · nightmarish · bedeviled · hellish · purgatory
Caused severe suffering
- writhingTwisting the body convulsively
- convulsedShook with violent spasms
- twistedWound around itself
- contortedTwisted unnaturally
wracked · excruciating · searing · throbbing · unbearable · agony · suffering · broken
Fully used or eaten
- fixatedObsessively attached or focused
- preoccupiedMentally elsewhere, not present
- ruminatingThinking deeply, repeatedly
- spiralingCurving in widening circles
intrusive · compulsive · relentless · gnawing · nagging · inescapable · overwrought · fraught
anguish
Intense mental suffering
- agonyExtreme physical or emotional pain
- despairTotal absence of hope
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
woe · grief · heartache · sorrow · misery · distress · trauma · desolation · hopelessness · anguished
demons
Malevolent supernatural beings
plagued · cursed · haunted · visions · apparitions · nightmarish · bedeviled · hellish · purgatory · damnation
racked
Caused severe suffering
contorted · wracked · excruciating · searing · throbbing · unbearable · agony · suffering · broken
consumed
Fully used or eaten
- fixatedObsessively attached or focused
- preoccupiedMentally elsewhere, not present
- ruminatingThinking deeply, repeatedly
spiraling · intrusive · compulsive · relentless · gnawing · nagging · inescapable · overwrought · fraught · dwelling
persecution
Systematic mistreatment of groups
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- tauntingInsulting to provoke
- hecklingHostile audience interruption
badgering · hounding · victimization · cruelty · mockery · ridicule · baiting · teasing · intimidation · stalking
- dramatic tonesintense, tense, suspenseful, ominous, foreboding
- Byronic Herobrooding, mysterious, rebellious, passionate, proud
- infernalhellish, demonic, diabolical, satanic, devilish
- wrongedabused, mistreated, victimized, exploited, oppressed
- painache, pain, agony, hurt, hurting
- character typesprotagonist, hero, antagonist, villain, heroes
tormentedcomforted
Given emotional relief
soothed · relieved · consoled · unburdened · unafflicted
- eternal tormentEndless punishment beyond death
- tormented soulOne suffering deep anguish
- psychological tormentInflicted emotional suffering
torment, tormenting, tormentor, torments, tormentors, tormenter, tormenters