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Definition of torture : 1. Especially, severe pain inflicted judicially, either as punishment for a crime, or for the purpose of extorting a confession from an accused person, as by water or fire, by the boot or thumbkin, or by the rack or wheel.
2. Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment; as, torture of mind.
3. The act or process of torturing.
4. To keep on the stretch, as a bow.
5. To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture an accused person.
6. To put to torture; to pain extremely; to harass; to vex.
7. To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort.

Synonyms:

single-foot, worry, dun, reject, wo, frustrate, distorted shape, murder, gouge, shove around, Gehenna, optical aberration, hit out, worrying, horror, rag, eina, squeeze, overrefinement, wretchedness, aberration, deformation, excruciate, strait, disturb, whirl, devastate, kick around, twirl, mistreat, torturing, spin, extort, bedevilment, happy, oppress, excruciation, neuralgia, reward, do someone wrong, paroxysm, strain, living hell, twinge, trample, scud, twisting, straining, distortion, nightmare, twist, curse, upset, wring, depress, travail, badgering, hell, woe, grind down, harassment, dismay, bedevil, hang over

distressfulness, bitterness, soreness, oppressiveness, offensiveness, aggravation, hurtfulness, acuteness, cruelty, grievousness, unpleasantness, odiousness, irksomeness, annoyingness, woefulness, severity, uncomfortableness, arduousness

headache, cramp, stitch, chafing, sting, throe, crick, hurt, earache, chafe, migraine, wrench, infliction, irritation, inflame, torment, pang, stab, inflammation, bed of Procrustes, suffering, spasm, agony, grief, dolor, rack, misery, bruise, throb, burn, sore, tribulation, ache, smarting, agonize, pain, injury, afflict, malaise, suffer, martyrdom, mental suffering, physical suffering, affliction, gripe, discomfort, cruciation, irritate, distress, smart, bite, back-ache, hell on earth, wound, anguish, painfulness

crucify, punish, castigate, fine, execute, persecute, correct, chasten, penalize, avenge, keelhaul, imprison, judge, burden, try, reprise, lambaste, sentence, incarcerate, confine, chastise, pillory, discipline

forfeiture, payment, chastisement, punishment, reprisal, penalty, execution, judgment, revenge, confinement, imprisonment, persecution, retribution, crucifixion, price, verdict, correction, castigation, incarceration

destructiveness, inhumanity, broil, vandalism, brutishness, fracas, atrocity, intensity, brawl, wildness, abuse, fight, attack, barbarity, vehemence, terrorism, ferocity, violence, fury, rage, fierceness, savagery, frenzy, assault, commotion, brutality, thuggery, turmoil, outrage, insurrection, uproar

Usage examples:

• My life was torture- could never have been anything else, though I lived fifty years. - "A Terrible Secret", May Agnes Fleming.
• And- if you will let me speak the truth- the thoughts which torture you to- day are not worthy of a king. - "Catherine de' Medici", Honore de Balzac.
• They would, of course, use torture. - "Oneness", James H. Schmitz.