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Onerous vs Tormenting - What's the difference?

onerous | tormenting | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between onerous and tormenting

is that onerous is imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort while tormenting is involving or causing torment.

As a verb tormenting is

present participle of lang=en.

As a noun tormenting is

the act by which somebody is tormented.

onerous

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • imposing]] or [[constitute, constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort.
  • * 1820 , , "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow":
    • That all this might not be too onerous on the purses of his rustic patrons, who are apt to consider the costs of schooling a grievous burden, and schoolmasters as mere drones, he had various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable.
  • * 1848 , , Shirley , ch. 13:
    • Again, and more intensely than ever, she desired a fixed occupation,—no matter how onerous , how irksome.
  • * 1910 , , "The Golden Poppy" in Revolution and Other Essays :
    • [I]t has become an onerous duty, a wearisome and distasteful task.

    Synonyms

    * (burdensome) demanding, difficult, taxing, wearing

    Derived terms

    * onerously

    Related terms

    * exonerate * exoneration * onus

    tormenting

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Adjective

    (more)
  • Involving or causing torment.

    • Synonyms

    * tormentous

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act by which somebody is tormented.
  • * 1832 , Mary Brunton, Self Control (page 335)
    • If Laura really entertained the hope she mentioned, she was miserably disappointed; for Lady Pelham remitted not a jot of her tormentings .