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
John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
The process can be excruciating for some, causing dizziness and even fainting.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Exposure to light was excruciating.
—Holly Burns, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
For humans, crystalline buildups in the body manifest as excruciating shards in joints—a condition known as gout—or as kidney stones in the urinary tract.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Ah, love triangles—is there anything more deliciously excruciating to watch onscreen?
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
The process can be excruciating for some, causing dizziness and even fainting.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Exposure to light was excruciating.
—Holly Burns, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
For humans, crystalline buildups in the body manifest as excruciating shards in joints—a condition known as gout—or as kidney stones in the urinary tract.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
-
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The searing drama follows the titular socialite (Tessa Thompson) over the course of one opulent, suffocating party.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Emergency responders worked around the clock to locate survivors, enduring searing heat and toxic fumes.—
Josh Green,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Proper skin preparation is key to making your wax sessions less painful.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The high fevers, hospitalizations, and dehydration that these illnesses cause can be painful and disruptive—and, with vaccines, avoidable.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
True Ipomea batatas has bright orange flesh (although modern varieties have much more intense colors than older forms), occasionally white and rarely purple.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Both cases are apt to serve as models for how to prevent the kind of school shootings still plaguing the nation and could set legal precedent for who shoulders the blame when children have access to guns and open fire on campus.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Live With Kelly and Mark talk show hostess seemingly hasn't known peace on the scariest day of the year for quite some time, but not because of ghosts and ghoulies plaguing her — but, rather, ungrateful neighbors who consistently complain about her Halloween candy.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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September 22 Lucas Museum opens After a long, semi-torturous process, George Lucas’s grand vision for a public museum containing an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, and film memorabilia will finally come to fruition.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
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During this increasingly torturous adjustment period, Millie learns Nina spent some time in a psychiatric facility years earlier after allegedly leaving Cece to drown in a bathtub and taking enough pills to kill herself.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
There's a lot of harsh words and harsh things that get said about people.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Applying it at the base of the plant before the first frost can protect the roots from harsh cold and keep the soil from freezing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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