excruciating

adjective

ex·​cru·​ci·​at·​ing ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ 

1

: causing great pain or anguish : agonizing

… the nation's most excruciating dilemma …

—W. H. Ferry

2

: very intense : extreme

excruciating pain

excruciatingly

ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of excruciating

• wrenching
• torturous
• agonizing
• intense
• torturing

Examples of excruciating in a Sentence

I have an excruciating headache.

an excruciating moment of embarrassment

They described their vacation in excruciating detail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kevin Hart subjected himself to one of comedy’s most hallowed and excruciating traditions last night, the roast. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026

The Braves then beat Pittsburgh in seven games in the National League Championship Series and were part of perhaps the greatest World Series ever, finally losing to the Minnesota Twins in a 1-0 Game 7 that lasted 10 excruciating innings. —Mark Bradley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 9 May 2026

Friday night’s Game 3 was excruciating enough. —Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 9 May 2026

If The House is Burning captured the joie de vivre of reclaiming your life after years of disassociation and detachment, IT’S BEEN AWFUL depicts the excruciating process of living with your eyes wide open, of holding up the mirror to your face and not looking away. —Brady Brickner-Wood, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for excruciating

• abdicating
• abrogating
• activating
• actuating
• advocating
• aggravating
• aggregating
• agitating
• allocating
• alternating
• animating
• annotating

Kids Definition

excruciating

adjective

ex·​cru·​ci·​at·​ing

ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌāt-iŋ

1

: causing great mental or physical pain : agonizing

excruciating torture

an excruciating decision to leave

2

: very severe

excruciating pain

excruciatingly

-iŋ-lē

adverb

Etymology

derived from Latin excruciatus, past participle of excruciare "to torture," from ex- "out of, from" and cruciare "to torment, crucify," from cruc-, crux "cross" — related to cross, crucial, crucify