excruciating 1 of 2

adjective

ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ How to pronounce excruciating (audio)
Definition of excruciatingnext
1
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful he finally visited the doctor when the pain became too excruciating to ignore

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in searing
difficult to endure the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally most excruciating of all was the endless wait for news of any survivors of the plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect the excruciating grief they felt upon the loss of their dear grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

excruciating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of excruciate
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excruciating
Adjective
The other story line tracks the family’s life in Europe before World War II, continues through the horrors his parents endured, the liberation of the death camps, an interlude in Sweden (where Artie was born) and a new, at times excruciating life in America. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Among the caterpillars Walker has studied are puss, or asp, caterpillars, whose stings can be excruciating. — Ivan Amato, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025 Like the compulsive twisting of a pencil into a sharpener, Khatami tightens the narrative rope to excruciating effect with a series of ominous foreshadowings. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025 Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews received the lion's share of the blame after the Baltimore Ravens' playoff run came to an abrupt and excruciating end. — Chantz Martin, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
  1. searing
  2. painful
  3. intense
  4. torturous
  5. tough
  6. harsh
  7. intensive
  8. afflicting
Adjective
  • Last year, Love penned a searing op-ed in The Guardian about the lack of female artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
  • If Demi Moore wasn’t going to win for her career-reviving performance in the horror satire The Substance, then surely British voters would reward Marianne Jean-Baptiste for her searing depiction of depression in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths.
    — Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • While that decline was painful for COST holders, the stock bottomed in mid-May, five months before the S & P 500 ultimately found its own low in October 2022.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Like witnessing a bad car crash, Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) latest episodes of hate speech and misogyny have been painful to watch and continue to elicit shock and dismay from every corner of the entertainment world.
    — David Renzer, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • This is due to the bodywork, interior work, and intense customization required to retrofit a new drivetrain under an old body.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The intense gravitational pull from the black hole rips the two stars apart, capturing one star into a close orbit around it, notes the center.
    — Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • The crane-hunt proposal reminds some observers of Wisconsin’s torturous experience with approving a mourning dove hunt a generation ago.
    — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The Lombardi is more Holy Grail than trophy, the end of what can only be described as a torturous emotional pilgrimage.
    — Ali Watkins, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Definition of torturous
Adjective
  • Schneider wants to take calculated risks in free agency, but that can be tough to do when Seattle is one of many teams needing interior offensive upgrades.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Another really tough stretch is ahead for the Heat.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Each of our pieces is a symbol of resilience, proving that creativity can thrive even under the harshest circumstances.
    — Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Smith isn’t alone in that sentiment, as other analysts and critics have shared his harsh review of Bronny’s performance in the NBA.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Our only leverage were the ongoing national-level intensive negotiations over the NAFTA environmental side-accords.
    — Serge Dedina, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Finding and synthesizing that data would be both labor intensive and expensive for the district to do itself.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of intensive
Verb
  • An audacious plan In the mid-1980s, global health agencies were otherwise occupied and heads of state largely overlooked the illness afflicting millions of their citizens.
    — Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2024
  • The United States now suffers from twin pathologies—one afflicting the health of its citizens and the other the health of its political system.
    — Thomas J. Bollyky, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2020
Definition of afflicting

Browse Nearby Words

excruciating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on excruciating

Nglish: Translation of excruciating for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All