excruciating
Americanadjective
-
extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing: excruciating pain.
an excruciating noise;
excruciating pain.
- Synonyms:
- racking, agonizing, unendurable, insufferable, unbearable
-
exceedingly elaborate or intense; extreme.
done with excruciating care.
adjective
-
unbearably painful; agonizing
-
intense; extreme
he took excruciating pains to do it well
-
informal irritating; trying
-
humorous very bad
an excruciating pun
Other Word Forms
- excruciatingly adverb
- unexcruciating adjective
Etymology
Origin of excruciating
First recorded in 1655–65; excruciat(e) + -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The children and families at Dilley are often held under excruciating conditions, but their numbers are declining: Since Castro’s first trip, in January, the population at the center has dropped from 1,100 to just 450.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
And I’m sorry that your ex’s choice to be avoidant is only making what I imagine to be a painful process that much more excruciating and drawn out.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
Amy Peckham-Driver was 14 when excruciating period pains caused her to pass out in a toilet at school.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
Even more excruciating to the Jets is that the Pats were never supposed to be this good right now.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
An Irukandji sting results in excruciating headache and body pain, vomiting, sweating, anxiety, dangerously fast heartbeat, brain hemorrhage, and fluid in the lungs.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
