tortura

torture

noun tor-TOO-rah Rare

Origin: From Latin tortura (twisting, torment).

Usage Note

Tortura refers both to the physical act of inflicting severe pain as punishment and, colloquially, to anything extremely unpleasant or tedious: esa reunión fue una tortura (that meeting was torture). The related verb is torturar. International legal documents use tortura as the direct equivalent of 'torture' under the UN Convention Against Torture, making it a term of art in human rights discourse.

Examples

"La tortura está prohibida por la ley internacional."

Natural Translation

Torture is prohibited by international law.

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