torment
This word conveys a sense of prolonged, intense distress that is often repetitive or inescapable. While pain is a momentary sensation, this term suggests a sustained state of agony, whether inflicted by an external force or generated by internal guilt and anxiety. When used to describe a person, the term shifts from severe suffering to a more colloquial sense of persistent annoyance. In this context, it describes someone who is a nuisance or a pest, though the underlying theme of causing distress remains.
Meanings
A person or thing that causes great annoyance or suffering.
"My younger brother is a complete torment when I am trying to study."
To cause severe physical or mental suffering to someone.
"The ghost continued to torment the inhabitants of the old house."
To annoy or harass someone persistently with a particular thing.
"She tormented him with constant questions about his past."