excruciating

ex·cru·ci·a·ting
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UK, UK/ɪkˈskɹuːʃi.eɪtɪŋ/British, Southern, Standard, UK/ɪkˈskɹʉwʃɪjɛjtɪŋ/Midlands, Northern England, UK/ɪkˈskɹuːʃi.eɪtɪŋɡ/Scotland, UK/ɪkˈskɾʉʃi.etɪŋ/

adjective

Causing great pain or anguish, agonizing

Similar
laceratingpoignantsearingagonizingagonisingharrowingtorturingtorturous
OriginLatin excruciō →
Less commonScrabble 24
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Word of the Day · Feb 19, 2024

Meanings

adjectiveexcruciating (comparative more excruciating, superlative most excruciating)

comparative more excruciating · superlative most excruciating

  1. Causing great pain or anguish, agonizing

    Sagan faced an excruciating dilemma: Should he remain true to his naturalistic philosophy and reject the marrow graft as something acquired by immoral means? Or should he agree to undergo the medical treatment in hope of saving his life

    2011, Charles Colson, Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live?

    Synonyms: lacerating, poignant

  2. Exceedingly intense; extreme

    When he at last opened his eyes, he was conscious of nothing but an excruciating pain through his temples. He was vaguely aware of unfamiliar surroundings.

    1922, Agatha Christie, “Chapter 16”, in The Secret Adversary

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing

Similar
laceratingpoignant
Similar
searing

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveextremely painful

Similar
agonizingagonisingharrowingtorturingtorturoustorturesomepainful
Also see
agonisingagonizingailsomeharrowinghellishminutepainablepainfultormentuoustorturesometorturingtorturous

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinexcruciō
  2. Englishexcruciating

Present participle of excruciate, from Latin excruciō, from ex- + cruciō (“to torment”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch martelend, ondraaglijk
  • martelendCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • ondraaglijkCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • extreemVery intense; extreme
  • intensVery intense; extreme
Finnish kiduttava, sietämätön
  • kiduttavaCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • sietämätönCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • musertavaVery intense; extreme
French insoutenable, atroce
  • insoutenableCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • atroceCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • terribleCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
German quälend, unerträglich
  • quälendCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • unerträglichCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • qualvollCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Italian atroce, straziante
  • atroceCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • strazianteCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • lancinanteCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Latin cruciabilis
  • cruciabilisCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Polish rozdzierający
  • rozdzierającyCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Portuguese excruciante
  • excrucianteCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Russian мучи́тельный
  • мучи́тельный (mučítelʹnyj)Causing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Spanish lacerante, insoportable
  • laceranteCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • insoportableCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • espantosoCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • excrucianteCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • insoportableVery intense; extreme
Swedish olidlig, plågsam
  • olidligCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • plågsamCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
Turkish canhıraş, yürek dağlayan
  • canhıraşCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • yürek dağlayanCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • feciVery intense; extreme
Welsh dirdynnol, dirdynnol
  • dirdynnolCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
  • dirdynnolVery intense; extreme
Cite this entry
APA

excruciating. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciating

MLA

“excruciating.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciating. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “excruciating,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/excruciating.

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