Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

excruciating

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of excruciating

1 intensely or unbearably painful
  • He finally visited the doctor when the pain became excruciating.
Synonyms of excruciating

agonizing, harrowing, racking, raging, tormenting, torturing, torturous, wrenching
Words Related to excruciating

acute, exquisite, extreme, fierce, intense, vehement, violent

biting, cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp, shooting, smarting, stabbing, stinging, tearing, tingling
2 difficult to endure
  • the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest
Synonyms of excruciating

bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, grievous, grim, hard, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying
Words Related to excruciating

austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable

rigorous, strict, stringent

agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched

crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing

insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable

harrowing, tortuous

bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant
Near Antonyms of excruciating

comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug

agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant

peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful

bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable

balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate
Antonyms of excruciating

easy, light, soft
3 hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
  • Most excruciating of all was the endless wait for news.
Synonyms of excruciating

afflicting, agonizing, bitter, cruel, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous
Words Related to excruciating

insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable

appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched

acute, extreme, intense, piercing
Near Antonyms of excruciating

bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable

livable (also liveable), sufferable, survivable

acceptable, allowable, reasonable
Antonyms of excruciating

gratifying, pleasing, sweet
4 extreme in degree, power, or effect
  • their excruciating grief
Synonyms of excruciating

acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, intense, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent
Words Related to excruciating

accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened

emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified

stressed

exhaustive, thorough

harsh, rigorous, severe
Near Antonyms of excruciating

feeble, weak

shallow, superficial

moderated, qualified

alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down)

abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued
Antonyms of excruciating

light, moderate, soft

Learn More about excruciating

  1. Dictionary: Definition of excruciating Spanish Central: Translation of excruciating Nglish: Translation of excruciating for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of excruciating for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

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

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

mollycoddle

play

to treat with excessive attention

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  2. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

  3. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  4. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  5. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image278155226
All the Hits

8 obscure words for bodily harm

alt-5adf93a49b0b2
The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

"In point" only lives in this phrase.

alt-5adf5d017e6bf
‘Sleight’ or ‘Slight’ of Hand?

Watch closely and be amazed.

alt-5ade0f1ca7a0c
'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

The distinction is clear (now).

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Add Diction
Add Diction

Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.

Play the game