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Torment vs Massacre - What's the difference?

torment | massacre |

In obsolete terms the difference between torment and massacre

is that torment is a catapult or other kind of war-engine while massacre is murder.

In transitive terms the difference between torment and massacre

is that torment is to cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex but weaker than to torture. while massacre is to kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter. Often limited to the killing of human beings.

torment

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A catapult or other kind of war-engine.
  • Torture, originally as inflicted by an instrument of torture.
  • Any extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.
    • He was bitter from the torments of the divorce system.
  • * Bible, Matthew iv. 24
    • They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments .

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * tormentous

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex'' but weaker than ''to torture. )
    • The child tormented the flies by pulling their wings off.
  • * 2013 , Phil McNulty, " Man City 4-1 Man Utd", BBC Sport , 22 September 2013:
    • Moyes, who never won a derby at Liverpool in 11 years as Everton manager, did not find the Etihad any more forgiving as City picked United apart in midfield, where Toure looked in a different class to United's £27.5m new boy Marouane Fellaini, and in defence as Aguero tormented Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

    Derived terms

    * tormentor

    massacre

    English

    Alternative forms

    * massacer (archaic)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.
    • the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day
    St. Valentine's Day''' '''massacre
    Amritsar''' '''massacre
  • (obsolete) Murder.
  • * 1593 , , The Tragedy of Richard the Third
    • The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
    The most arch deed of piteous massacre
    That ever yet this land was guilty of.
  • (figuratively) An overwhelming defeat.

    • Synonyms

    * butchery, carnage, slaughter. *: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. *:* 1592 , , Titus Andronicus, I,v *:*: I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family *: Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. *:* 1593 , , Richard III, I,ii *:*: If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries *: Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. *:* 1674 , , Paradise Lost *:*: Such a scent I draw Of carnage , prey innumerable!

    Related terms

    * mass murder * massacrer * massacree

    Verb

    (massacr)
  • To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter.
  • * 1849 , , The History Of England From the Accession of James II
    • If James should be pleased to massacre' them all, as Maximilian had ' massacred the Theban legion
  • (figuratively)