Definition
As a verb: to cause severe pain or extreme distress; as a noun: extreme and severe forms of pain inflicted deliberately.
Etymology
From Latin 'tortura', derived from 'torquere' meaning to twist. The word originally described the medieval practice of twisting limbs to extract information or as punishment.
Kelly Says
The etymology reveals something dark about history—'torture' literally comes from 'twist', reflecting that many historical torture methods involved twisting and contorting the human body. This etymological honesty in language preserves awareness of human cruelty that we must remember to prevent.
Translations
ARالعربية
تعذيب
ta-a-dhib
BNবাংলা
যন্ত্রণা
yon-tran-a
CACatalà
tortures
tor-too-rez
CSČeština
mučení
moo-che-nee
DEDeutsch
Folter
foh-lter
ELΕλληνικά
βασανισμοί
va-sa-nis-moi
ESEspañol
tortura
tor-too-rah
FISuomi
kieroitus
ke-ree-o-itus
FRFrançais
tortures
tor-too-rez
HAHA
ma'aurata
ma-au-ra-ta
HEעברית
ייסורים
ya-su-rim
HUMagyar
kínözés
kee-no-zees
IDBahasa Indonesia
penyiksaan
pen-ee-eks-aan
ITItaliano
torture
tor-too-reh
KMKM
ប្រព្រឹត្ត
bra-p-rot
MSBahasa Melayu
penyiksaan
pen-ee-eks-aan
NLNederlands
martelaarschap
mar-te-laars-chap
PLPolski
tortury
tor-too-ree
PTPortuguês
torturas
tor-too-rahs
RORomână
torturi
tor-too-ree
RUРусский
Tortures
tor-too-reh-s
SVSvenska
plågor
plah-gor
SWKiswahili
maumivu
ma-u-vee-voo
THไทย
การทรมาน
gaan tor-ma-an
TLTL
pag-a-api
pag-a-a-pee
TRTürkçe
işkenceler
ish-ken-cheh-ler
UKУкраїнська
катування
ka-to-va-nie
VITiếng Việt
tra tấn
tra tan
ZUZU
umshayeli
oom-sha-ye-lee