excruciate

American  

[ik-skroo-shee-eyt] / ɪkˈskru ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

excruciated, excruciating

1. to inflict severe pain upon; torture.

   The headache excruciated him.

2. to cause mental anguish to; irritate greatly.

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excruciate British  

/ ɪkˈskruːʃɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. to inflict mental suffering on; torment

2. obsolete to inflict physical pain on; torture

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Other Word Forms

• excruciation noun

Etymology

Origin of excruciate

1560–70; < Latin excruciātus, past participle of excruciāre to torment, torture, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + cruciāre to torment, crucify (derivative of crux cross); -ate ¹

Example Sentences

If there’s a positive for Miami, it’s that one NFL team committed a similarly excruciating error and has surprisingly emerged as one of the game’s best teams nonetheless.

From The Wall Street Journal

It lasted about 15 minutes—the longest, most excruciating period of my life—before I was able to make contact with my family.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finally, after roughly 15 excruciating minutes, Ostrovsky got a message back from his wife.

From The Wall Street Journal

"When you watch the finished product, for most actors, that's an excruciating experience. It's something you kind of have to go through."

From BBC

“That doesn’t mean you won’t be in excruciating pain. You probably will. It means you’re not going to break it worse, and the remedy is still the remedy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agonize