From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtorturoustor‧tur‧ous /ˈtɔːtʃərəs $ ˈtɔːr-/ adjective very painful or unpleasant to experience a torturous five days of fitness testing
Examples from the Corpus
torturous• It was a torturous decision, but he left Apple.• torturous memories• Think of the torturous metaphors and similes that the readers would be spared.• my torturous summer language class• For Inman, the torturous wanderings test his will to survive.• The experience had become pure music, each note torturous yet unbearably sweet. 