a. Also 5, 7 torterous. [a. AF. torturous = OF. tortureus, -eux, f. L. tortūra TORTURE: see -OUS.] Full of, involving, or causing torture; tormenting, excruciating; in first quot., given to inflicting torture.
c. 1495. Epitaffe, etc., in Skelton’s Wks. (1843), II. 392. O turmentoure, traytoure, torterous tyraunte.
1600. Abp. Abbot, Exp. Jonah, 199. Dying he must live and living he must dy in a torturous execution.
1618. M. Baret, Horsemanship, Cures. They follow the torterous inventions of hard snailles.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac., II. II. ii. (1737), II. 146. The assuaging of the most torturous Pain.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxv. 1. Outworn with sorrow, with hours of torturous anguish.
b. fig. Involving perversion or violent dislocation (of words, etc.): cf. TORTURE sb. 3, v. 3 b.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1859), II. 27. Their torturous arrangement of words without rhythm or cadence.
1890. Standard, 23 Aug., 3/2. Tortuous, as well as torturous, renderings of Psalms, Te Deums, Canticles, and responses.
Hence Torturously adv., very painfully.
1857. W. Arnot, Lett., in Mrs. A. Fleming, Life, vi. (1877), 320. They make the carriages torturously hard.
c. 1873. J. Addis, Eliz. Echoes (1879), 77. A fate Through all thy Future torturously throbbing.
