tormentor

/tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)/

//tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"tormentor" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tormentor” is uncommon English (frequency #66,353 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,353
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who torments; a person, animal, or object that causes suffering.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tormentor · tormentor · English

tormentor · rank #66,353 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,353
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH torturer

Nearest frequency peer: torturer (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “tormentor”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “tormentor” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tormentor
PropertyValue
Headwordtormentor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#66,353
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tormentor” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).tormentorfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “torturer” (#66,354), “toho” (#66,351), “toboggan” (#66,350). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tormentor” is #66,353. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tormentor is uncommon English at frequency #66,353 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

tormentor doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman tourmentour, from Old French tormenteor. The correct English form is tormentor, spelled T-O-R-M-E-N-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who torments; a person, animal, or object that causes suffering.
  2. 2
    One who torments; a person, animal, or object that causes suffering.
  3. 3
    Something abstract that causes suffering.
  4. 4
    One of a pair of narrow curtains just behind the front curtain and teaser that mask the areas on the sides of the stage and can be adjusted to the desired width.
  5. 5
    An implement for reducing a stiff soil, resembling a harrow, but running upon wheels.
  6. 6
    A long meat-fork.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how tormentor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Before that estimable lady could recover herself, or offer the slightest retaliation, she was forced into a kneeling posture by a crowd of shouting tormentors, and compelled to swallow a spoonful of the odious mixture […]
  2. A girl of the village […] came and rang at my bell as soon as it was light […] perfectly maddened with an aching tooth. […] The poor thing begged me with tears in her eyes to take out her tormentor, if I dragged her head off.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman tourmentour, from Old French tormenteor.

Synonyms

torturer

This word in other languages

atormentador(Español)bourreau(Français)Peiniger(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tormentor"?
"tormentor" is spelled T-O-R-M-E-N-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "tormentor" mean?
As a noun, "tormentor" means: One who torments; a person, animal, or object that causes suffering.
How do you pronounce "tormentor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tormentor" is /tɔːˈmɛn.tə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "tormentor"?
From Anglo-Norman tourmentour, from Old French tormenteor. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "tormentor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

traversal#66,360temptress#66,343unbalance#66,370unlearned#66,375

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list