[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/tormentor/)

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# tormentor

noun (plural tormentors)

«tormentor» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A tormentor is a person who causes pain, fear or trouble to someone, often on purpose and over and over. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/#m1)

### In the lessons

in stories, the tormentors are the cruel people who hurt or taunt a helpless prisoner or victim

### Examples

- The boy turned to his tormentors and begged them to stop. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/#x1)
- The bully was the tormentor of the smaller children. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/#x2)
- His tormentors laughed as he fell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/#x3)
- The cat was a tormentor to the mice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/#x4)

### Note

nothing for maths; it names people, and counting tormentors is simple counting.

## In Jewish tradition

In Psalm 137 the tormentors are the Babylonian captors who mocked the exiles and made them sing for fun.

**Interpretation.** Tradition reads this psalm as the grief of exiled Israel by Babylon's rivers. It teaches that a people in mourning cannot sing joyfully for those who hurt them, and that Zion must never be forgotten.

### Examples

- For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.' (Writings PSA.137.3, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/tormentor/#x1)

### Note

nothing for maths; it names people, and counting tormentors is simple counting.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tormentor» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tormentor/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tormentor» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tormentor.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «tormentor» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/tormentor/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tormentor» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/tormentor.html) on Mova free.