excruciating

[ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting]

adjective

1. extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing: excruciating pain.

   an excruciating noise;

   excruciating pain.

   Synonyms: racking, agonizing, unendurable, insufferable, unbearable

2. exceedingly elaborate or intense; extreme.

   done with excruciating care.

excruciating

/ ɪkˈskruːʃɪˌeɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. unbearably painful; agonizing

2. intense; extreme

   he took excruciating pains to do it well

3. informal,  irritating; trying

4. humorous,  very bad

   an excruciating pun

Other Word Forms

• excruciatingly adverb
• unexcruciating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excruciating¹

First recorded in 1655–65; excruciat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Though he was in “excruciating” pain, his tune aimed for uplift.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the pantheon of losses, this was arguably the most excruciating.

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It was an excruciating process, which took almost two years.

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He and his team accumulated so much material that they had to cut dozens of profiles and recipes from the final product, a process that Wareheim called excruciating.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“And then having found the fortitude to do so, we begin the excruciating yet exquisite process of letting go.”

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Related Words

• acute 
• agonizing 
• exquisite 
• grueling 
• harrowing 
• intense 
• searing 
• severe 
• unbearable