excruciating

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​cru·​ci·​at·​ing ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ How to pronounce excruciating (audio)
Synonyms of excruciating
1
: causing great pain or anguish : agonizing
… the nation's most excruciating dilemma …—W. H. Ferry
2
: very intense : extreme
excruciating pain
excruciatingly
ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ-lē How to pronounce excruciating (audio)
adverb

excruciating

2 of 2

present participle of excruciate

Synonyms of excruciating

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Adjective

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Examples of excruciating in a Sentence

Adjective I have an excruciating headache. an excruciating moment of embarrassment They described their vacation in excruciating detail.
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Adjective
Tapper, who first became interested in the story while visiting France with his family, used source material in four different languages to chronicle the pursuit for Barbie in excruciating detail. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026 That lack of production makes the three-point losses to the Chiefs and Bills even more excruciating for the Raiders. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 The work is tacky in signifiers, excruciating in implication. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Then the day came, two weeks before a drop-dead deadline on a final draft of a novel, when the pain was yelp-out-loud excruciating in any position other than lying flat on the floor, or standing. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excruciating

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excruciating was in 1599

Rhymes for excruciating

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Browse Nearby Words

excruciate
excruciating
excruciation
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Cite this Entry

“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excruciating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

excruciating

adjective
ex·​cru·​ci·​at·​ing
ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌāt-iŋ
1
: causing great mental or physical pain : agonizing
excruciating torture
an excruciating decision to leave
2
: very severe
excruciating pain
excruciatingly
-iŋ-lē
adverb
Etymology

Adjective

derived from Latin excruciatus, past participle of excruciare "to torture," from ex- "out of, from" and cruciare "to torment, crucify," from cruc-, crux "cross" — related to cross, crucial, crucify

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