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

The movie’s second half travels to the Gaza border for a series of excoriating, excruciating monologues with the literal fog of war as background. —Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026

Testifying at her own trial had been an excruciating exercise, Wilkens told me, not only because describing the abuse meant reliving it. —Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026

A couple whose daughter was shot to death by an ex in their home said the noise is excruciating. —Christopher Spata, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026

Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children. —Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for excruciating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating

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