excruciate

ex·cru·ci·ate
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UK/ɪkˈskɹuːʃi.eɪt/British, Southern, Standard/ɪkˈskɹʉwʃɪjɛjt/US/ɪkˈskɹuʃi.eɪt/US/ək-/

verb

To inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture.

Similar
tormenttortureacheafflictaggrieveagonizeanguishdere
OriginLatin excruciātus →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

verbexcruciate (third-person singular simple present excruciates, present participle excruciating, simple past and past participle excruciated)

present singular third person excruciates · participle present excruciating · participle past excruciated · past excruciated

  1. transitiveTo inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture.

    But this it is that doth excruciate The verie ſubſtance of my vexed ſoule: To ſee our neighbours that were wont to quake And tremble at the Perſean Monarkes name, Now ſits and laughs our regiment to ſcorne, […]

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i

    Synonyms: torment, torture, ache, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, dere

adjectiveexcruciate (comparative more excruciate, superlative most excruciate)

comparative more excruciate · superlative most excruciate

  1. obsoleteExcruciated; tortured.

    1616, George Chapman's translation of Homer's Odyssey And here my heart long time excruciate Amongst the leaves I rested all that night.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture.

Similar
tormenttortureacheafflictaggrieveagonizeanguishderehurtirritatepangpinerackthroetormenttorturewring

More synonyms by meaning

verbtorment emotionally or mentally

Similar
tormenttorturerack
Broader
painanguishhurt

verbsubject to torture

Similar
torturetorment
Broader
injurewound
Also see
acheafflictaggrieveagonizeanguishgive someone griefhurtirritatepainpangpinerackthroetormenttorturewring

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinexcruciātus
  2. Englishexcruciate

From Latin excruciātus, past participle of excruciō, from ex- + cruciō, from the base of crux (“cross”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian измъчвам, тормозя
  • измъчвам (izmăčvam)to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • тормозя (tormozja)to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
Dutch folteren
  • folterento inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
French torturer
  • torturerto inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
German quälen
  • quälento inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
Russian му́чить, терза́ть
  • му́чить (múčitʹ)to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • терза́ть (terzátʹ)to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • истяза́ть (istjazátʹ)to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
Spanish torturar, lacerar
  • torturarto inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • lacerarto inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
Swedish pina
  • pinato inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
Cite this entry
APA

excruciate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciate

MLA

“excruciate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciate. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “excruciate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciate.

Source: excruciate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.