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tortura

torture

noun tor-TOO-rah Rare
People & Society Crime

Origin: From Late Latin tortura, from torquere, 'to twist'.

Also means

torment

Usage Note

Tortura refers both to the physical act of torture and, figuratively, to any prolonged or intense suffering: questo caldo è una tortura ('this heat is torture'). The verb is torturare (to torture). The word is a direct cognate of English 'torture', so there is no false-friend risk. Italy's constitution prohibits torture explicitly.

Examples

"La tortura è vietata dalla Costituzione italiana."

Natural Translation

Torture is prohibited by the Italian Constitution.

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