tormentor: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Literary, Dramatic
Quick answer
What does “tormentor” mean?
A person or thing that causes severe physical or mental suffering.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person or thing that causes severe physical or mental suffering.
A person who deliberately inflicts pain or distress on others; a persistent source of annoyance or harassment. In theatre/film, a curtain or screen at the side of the stage that masks the wings.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'tormentor' is standard in both, though 'tormenter' is a rare, archaic variant. The theatrical term 'tormentor' (side curtain) is used in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical in connotation. Both imply cruelty and suffering.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in literary and formal contexts in both varieties. No significant frequency difference between BrE and AmE.
Grammar
How to Use “tormentor” in a Sentence
tormentor of + [victim/group]tormentor to + [victim/group]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tormentor” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He would often torment his little sister.
- The memory continued to torment her for years.
American English
- The bullies tormented the new kid on the bus.
- Don't torment yourself over that decision.
adverb
British English
- He smiled tormentingly, knowing he had won.
- The question hung in the air tormentingly.
American English
- She laughed tormentingly as she walked away.
- The clock ticked tormentingly slowly.
adjective
British English
- The tormenting noise finally stopped.
- She had a tormenting doubt about his story.
American English
- He faced tormenting pain after the surgery.
- The tormenting wait for the results was awful.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could be used metaphorically: 'The fluctuating market became the investors' chief tormentor.'
Academic
Used in psychology, literature, and history to describe agents of suffering or oppression.
Everyday
Used to describe a bully, a very annoying person, or a source of persistent worry (e.g., 'My back pain is a constant tormentor').
Technical
In theatre/film: a 'tormentor' or 'tormentor leg' is a black curtain or flat at the side of the proscenium arch.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tormentor”
- Confusing 'tormentor' (noun) with 'torment' (verb/noun). Incorrect: 'He is a torment.' Correct: 'He is a tormentor.'
- Misspelling as 'tormenter' (archaic).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often a person, it can personify anything that causes persistent suffering (e.g., 'anxiety was her tormentor', 'the drought was the farmers' tormentor').
A 'tormentor' implies a higher degree of cruelty and prolonged suffering, and is a more formal/literary term. 'Bully' is more everyday and often associated with school or workplace settings.
Extremely rarely. It is almost exclusively negative. A possible ironic exception might be in coaching: 'My strict trainer was my tormentor, but he got me into shape.'
In American English, it is typically pronounced with an /ɔːr/ sound (like in 'or' or 'for'), so it rhymes with 'door-mentor'.
A person or thing that causes severe physical or mental suffering.
Tormentor is usually formal, literary, dramatic in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “One's own worst tormentor (being self-critical)”
- “The ghost of a tormentor (a past source of pain that haunts someone)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of TOR + MENTOR. A bad 'mentor' who uses a 'tor' (an old word for a rocky hill, suggesting hardship) to teach through pain, not wisdom.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRUELTY IS A PERSON (Personification of suffering). PAIN IS A PERSECUTOR.
Practice
Quiz
In a theatrical context, what is a 'tormentor'?