torture; pains of hell
Refers to physical or mental torment, often with a literary or religious connotation of hellish suffering.
Imagining the tortures of hell is frightening.
He couldn't bear the torment of his conscience.
Standard kanji spelling.
Less common variant; the 責め苦 spelling is preferred.
Compound of 責め (blame, torture) and 苦 (pain, suffering). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys the idea of torment.