Tortuous vs Torturous
tortuous
twisting/winding
torturous
causing agony
How to tell them apart
torTUous = a TWisting road, winding with no extra pain. torTURous has the 'TUR' of tortURE, so it causes AGONY.
Test yourself
Which word fits from context? Pick one, then reveal the answer. This is exactly how the GRE tests these pairs.
Question 1
The mountain road was so that its endless switchbacks doubled the distance to a village only miles away.
Choose: tortuous or torturous
Show answer
Answer: tortuous
'endless switchbacks doubled the distance' describes a twisting route (tortuous); torturous (agonizing) does not explain added distance.
Question 2
Recovering from the burns proved , each dressing change inflicting pain so intense that he could scarcely keep from screaming.
Choose: tortuous or torturous
Show answer
Answer: torturous
'pain so intense that he could scarcely keep from screaming' signals agony (torturous); tortuous (winding) is irrelevant to pain.
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