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
Vladimir Duthiers, Paul Larosa, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2025
In theaters now showtimes Warfare The excruciating terror of combat during the Iraq War is brought to the big screen with this movie from Alex Garland (Civil War) and veteran Ray Mendoza.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2025
And so did several excruciating defeats — including one-run losses on Sunday in Detroit and Tuesday and Wednesday in Cleveland.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection The pressure doing the show was excruciating.
—Mark Seliger, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Reggie says sitting through the trial was excruciating.
—Vladimir Duthiers, Paul Larosa, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2025
In theaters now showtimes Warfare The excruciating terror of combat during the Iraq War is brought to the big screen with this movie from Alex Garland (Civil War) and veteran Ray Mendoza.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2025
And so did several excruciating defeats — including one-run losses on Sunday in Detroit and Tuesday and Wednesday in Cleveland.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection The pressure doing the show was excruciating.
—Mark Seliger, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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Pritzker — who was rumored to be on the shortlist to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate last year — issued a searing rebuke of the Trump administration, in his address.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2025
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Her viral speech in Minneapolis in 2020 remains one of the most searing indictments of state violence in recent memory.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Lotions in particular remove hair from the root, are less painful than wax strips, and are much cheaper than laser hair removal and electrolysis.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
29 Apr. 2025
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Like many things in life, trying to fix something later is much more painful.—
Kevin Campbell,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before embarking on an NBA career that's already filled with exhilarating highs and torturous lows, Pritchard helped lead the Oregon Ducks to their first Final Four appearance since the inaugural NCAA men's basketball tournament.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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This is like one of Larry David's torturous self-debates on Curb Your Enthusiasm, but without his perverse genius, his wheedling, preening hostility.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There’s symbolism there—all that tough, hard-to-crack shell hiding a shining pearl—that lends itself well to a tattoo.—
Leah Prinzivalli,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2025
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Employees have a tough time trusting a leader whose actions do not follow their words.—
Mona Andrews,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So, designing the model's apparent personality to be positive and supportive makes sense—people are less likely to use an AI that comes off as harsh or dismissive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Since early March, Israel has cut Gaza off from the supply of humanitarian aid including food, with aid agencies warning that the situation for the strip’s 2 million civilians has deteriorated dangerously, only worsened by intensive Israeli military operations.—
Irene Nasser,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
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Now, more than six months after first complaining of stomach pain, Butlin started her first three-month course of intensive chemotherapy on April 8.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
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One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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