torment

1. (transitive) To cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex but weaker than to torture.)Examples: "The child tormented the flies by pulling their wings off."; "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."; "But the divine children were both noisy and mischievous. They tormented their venerable grandmother with their shrill uproar and tricky behaviour."Synonyms: afflict, torture, ache, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, deretransitive