Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

excruciate


ex·cru·ci·ate

verb \ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌāt\
ex·cru·ci·at·edex·cru·ci·at·ing

Definition of EXCRUCIATE

transitive verb
1
: to inflict intense pain on : torture
2
: to subject to intense mental distress
ex·cru·ci·a·tion \-ˌskrü-shē-ˈā-shən, -sē-\ noun

Examples of EXCRUCIATE

  1. <she has long been excruciated by a persistent pain in her knee>

Origin of EXCRUCIATE

Latin excruciatus, past participle of excruciare, from ex- + cruciare to crucify, from cruc-, crux cross
First Known Use: circa 1570

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: excruciating
Previous Word in the Dictionary: excretory
All Words Near: excruciate

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up excruciate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).