1
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
he finally visited the doctor when the pain became too excruciating to ignore
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2
as in searing
difficult to endure
the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest
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3
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
most excruciating of all was the endless wait for news of any survivors of the plane crash
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4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the excruciating grief they felt upon the loss of their dear grandfather
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as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excruciating
Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
The mere act of standing at her graduation ceremony was excruciating.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
Several hours after going to sleep, Monaco woke up in excruciating pain, and her face was swollen.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The pain was excruciating, constant and inescapable.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
When a retired pharmacist with a rare blood disease suffered injuries in a car crash near his home in 2018, excruciating pain shot through his arm like a lightning strike.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
The mere act of standing at her graduation ceremony was excruciating.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
Several hours after going to sleep, Monaco woke up in excruciating pain, and her face was swollen.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The pain was excruciating, constant and inescapable.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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There’s a significant battery life tax to pay for the microLED model’s searing brightness, too.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But the gifted Argentinian auteur has never tackled the issue as directly as in Landmarks (Nuestra Tierra), a searing and detailed chronicle of murder, bigotry and robbery on a massive scale that also marks the director’s first feature-length documentary.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The shoes have a wide toe box with plenty of room for feet to spread out, which helps prevent painful pinching and accommodates foot issues.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Downplaying the obvious and searingly painful crime plaguing Chicago neighborhoods is unacceptable and dangerous.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Both require intense concentration, in order to be any good, and diligent practice, and both make use of imagination—which in tennis takes the form of anticipation—and creativity.—
Thomas Swick
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Or why this situation remains indicative of bigger issues plaguing our country, then and now?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
-
While the problems plaguing humanity — from political strife to poverty to natural disasters — might seem overwhelming, Dorantes said the property’s history illustrates how much the world can actually change.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Within the film’s compact running time, writer-director Ben Hania traces the fraught and torturous hours of January 29, 2024, when Palestine Red Crescent volunteers in the West Bank tried to calm a terrified 6-year-old girl and get an ambulance to her in Gaza.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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From the almost humorous to the truly torturous, being plunked into unknown wilderness in total isolation—which is what happens on Alone—results in all manner of strange mental phenomenon.—
Woniya Thibeault,
Outside,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a tough dichotomy to bridge, but the new 2025 911 Carrera GTS achieves it brilliantly.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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The tough stainless steel loops are reinforced and designed to remain rust-free even after years of use, and a three number combination lock will be easy to remember and difficult to crack.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
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The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Zack recently completed five weeks of intensive training with his handler, Deputy Trisha List.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Measles, for example, was eliminated in the US in 2000 through intensive vaccination.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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