Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Torture \Tor"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tortured} (?; 135); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Torturing.}] [Cf. F. Torturer. ]
   1. To put to torture; to pain extremely; to harass; to vex.

   2. To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture
      an accused person. --Shak.

   3. To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort. --Jar.
      Taylor.

   4. To keep on the stretch, as a bow. [Obs.]

            The bow tortureth the string.         --Bacon.

Source : WordNet®

torturing
     adj : extremely painful [syn: {agonizing}, {agonising}, {excruciating},
            {harrowing}, {torturous}, {torturesome}]
     n : the act of torturing someone; "it required unnatural
         torturing to extract a confession" [syn: {torture}]