2021-02-15 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Tortuous & torturous
2021-02-15
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Tortuous & torturous
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Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง Tortuous = ‘TAWR-choo-uhs’
ออกเสียง torturous = ‘TAWR-cher-uhs’
Farlex Trivia Dictionary.
= Tortuous is "winding, crooked, full of twists and turns,"
= and torturous, based on "torture,"
is "painful, characterized by suffering."
See also related terms for torture.
Dictionary.com
“Torturous” vs. “Tortuous”: What Is The Difference?
Separatedby just one pesky letter,
these two similar-sounding adjectives can be torturous to keep straight.
Or is it tortuous?
Let’s take a look at the definitions and applicationsof each.
What does tortuous mean?
Both torturous and tortuous come from the Latin verb torquēre
meaning “to twist.”
This derivation is easy to detect in the meaningof tortuous,
defined as “full of twists, turns, or bends.”
Expandingon this foundation, tortuous can also
mean “not director straightforward, as in procedure or speech,”
or “deceitfully indirect or morally crooked.”
You might say,
The tortuous path led us farther and farther away from the coast and into the jungle.
Or you could use tortuous
to describe someone’s demeanor or speech:
We couldn’t follow his tortuous logic, and he refused to answer any follow-up questions.
What does torturous mean?
The theme of twisting a takes a grim turnin the word torturous,
which means “pertaining to, involving, or causing torture or suffering.”
Torturous refers specifically to what involves or causes pain
or suffering:
prisoners working in the torturous heat;
torturous memories of past injustice.
For example:
The patient described his torturous battle with a rare brain condition and his subsequent recovery.
Or, I’m not exaggerating when I say watching that movie was a torturous experience!
How to use the two
The differencesbetween torturous and tortuous
may seem straightforward, but the issue gets muddied
when we encounter instances
in which both words can be effectively applied.
A very long and winding road, for instance,
might be described as tortuous for its twists and turns.
The same road might also be hyperbolically
describedas torturous
for the discomfort or fatigue it causes those who travel it.
To complicate matters,
there’s also tortious, an adjective from the legal lexicon
that means “of the nature of orpertaining to a tort.”
This termcan also be traced back to the Latin torquēre
by way of the word tort,
which is “a wrongful act that results in
injury to another’s person, property, reputation, or the like,
and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation.”
But its use is quite different
(and you’re less likely to encounter it casually),
such as one technical example from
Texas Law Review:
“International organizations may be subject to jurisdiction for claims
arising out of their commercial activities, tortious actions,
or violations of international law.”
In the end, it may help to remember
torturous sounds like torture,and means “pertaining to suffering,”
whereas tortuous relatesto twists and turns.
Dictionary.com
WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH TORTUROUS
Torturous refers specifically
to what involves or causes painor suffering:
prisoners working in the torturous heat; torturous memories of past injustice.
Some speakers and writers use torturous for tortuous,
especially in the senses “twisting, winding” and “convoluted”:
a torturous road; torturous descriptions.
Others, however, keep the two adjectives
(and their corresponding adverbs) separate in all senses:
a tortuous (twisting) road;
tortuous (convoluted) descriptions;
torturous (painful) treatments.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Did You Know?
Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous.
These two words are relatives
-both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere,
which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"
-but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked,"
whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant."
Something tortuous (such asa twisting mountain road)
might alsobe torturous
(if, for example, you have to ride up that road on a bicycle),
but that doesn't make these words synonyms.
The twists and turnsthat mark a tortuous thing
can be literal("a tortuous path" or "a tortuous river")
or figurative ("a tortuous argument" or "a tortuous explanation"),
but you should consider choosing a different descriptive term
if no implication of winding or crookednessis present.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
'Torturous' and 'Tortuous'
No need for them to be all twisted up
What to Know
Tortuous means "marked by repeated bends, turns, or twists."
It can also be used metaphorically
to describe something deviously indirector circuitous.
Torturous, on the other hand,
generally means "extremely unpleasantor painful,"
or metaphorically"painfully difficult."
Usage guides often warn against confusing torturous and tortuous.
These words do have meanings that are quite distinct,
but one of them is commonly used in place of the other.
This sort of mix-upis due to the fact
that torturous and tortuous are etymologically related,
and also simply because the two words look similar.
The Origin of 'Tortuous' and 'Torturous'
Both tortuous and torturous come from the Latin torquēre,
meaning “to twist.”
Tortuous has retained meanings that are closely related to this root,
including “marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns,”
“marked by deviousor indirect tactics,” and “circuitous.”
Torturous,on the other hand, carries meanings
that are more related to torture and pain,
such as “very unpleasantor painful,” “causing torture,”
and “painfully difficult or slow.”
Examples of Confusion
The misuseof these words that we most often encounter
is that of torturous (“painful”) where tortuous (“winding”) is called for.
An essay by Richard John Neuhaus follows a torturous path to its flabbergasting final sentence: “That is why, I reluctantly conclude, atheists cannot be good citizens.”
— The Washington Post, 3 May 2020
I fear that, notwithstanding his thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis, we have a long and torturous path ahead.
— The New York Times, 9 Feb. 2020
Along with the price hikes there will be shortages, as many products will have to take a torturous route to Ireland or be blocked entirely.
— Irish Times (Dublin, IR), 16 Jan. 2019
Overlapping Context
It should be noted that something may easily merit
being described by either of these adjectives.
A climb up a mountainthat is both arduous and winding
may be torturous and tortuous.
Without food or shelter for 15 days, he survived freezing temperatures at 12,000 feet while “crawling, slipping and sliding to safety over 20 torturous miles of high country considered impassable even now to trained mountaineers,” The Times reported.
— Steve Harvey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2010
However, in cases where
the surrounding context does not make clear which word is called for writers may wish to choose a different word
(such as circuitous or painful).
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree
tortuous
= circuitous; devious; full of twists, turns, or bends:
a tortuous road up the mountain
Not to be confused with:
torturous = pertains to suffering:
We toil in the torturous heat.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
Usage Note:
Although tortuous and torturous
both come from the Latin word torquēre,
"to twist," their primary meanings are distinct.
Tortuous means "twisting" (a tortuous road)
or by extension"complex" or "devious."
Torturous refers primarily to torture
and the pain associated with it.
However, torturous also can be used in the sense
of "twisted, strained, belabored"
and tortured is an even stronger synonym: a tortured analogy.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary,
usage:
torturous refers specifically to
what involves or causes painor suffering:
prisoners working in the torturous heat;
torturous memories of past injustice.
Some speakers and writersuse torturous for tortuous,
esp. in the senses“twisting, winding” and “convoluted”:
a torturous road; torturous descriptions.
There can often be semantic overlap between these words,
since, for example, a tortuous (winding) road
may be considered torturous (painful) to navigate.
Nonetheless, they are usually considered different words
whose meanings should be kept distinct:
a tortuous (twisting) road;
tortuous (convoluted) descriptions;
torturous (painful) treatments.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions
Tortuous & torturous
Tortuous means “winding,” “crooked.”
Torturous means “full of, or causing, torture (pain).”
“The path of the stream is tortuous.”
“The surgeon began a torturous examination of the patient’s neck.”
Noting that torturoushas two r’s will help one to associate it with torture.
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