1
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
he finally visited the doctor when the pain became too excruciating to ignore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in searing
difficult to endure
the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the excruciating grief they felt upon the loss of their dear grandfather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excruciating
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
From the moment Gabriel Landeskog stepped on the ice for warmups, Ball Arena was rocking, but the joy gave way to excruciating tension as the game went on — until Tyler Seguin scored off a Mason Marchment feed at 5:31 of overtime to give the Stars a 2-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Black Mirror explores really grim themes that question the world’s clouded decision-making during excruciating life moments.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 17 Apr. 2025
Instead of thinking out loud, which is excruciating for the listener, say your main point and then decide what needs to be added.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Bannon, who owns a marketing company, then began experiencing excruciating stomach pains and lost 14 pounds in just a month, which doctors blamed on acid reflux.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
From the moment Gabriel Landeskog stepped on the ice for warmups, Ball Arena was rocking, but the joy gave way to excruciating tension as the game went on — until Tyler Seguin scored off a Mason Marchment feed at 5:31 of overtime to give the Stars a 2-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Black Mirror explores really grim themes that question the world’s clouded decision-making during excruciating life moments.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 17 Apr. 2025
Instead of thinking out loud, which is excruciating for the listener, say your main point and then decide what needs to be added.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Like many things in life, trying to fix something later is much more painful.—
Kevin Campbell,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
In the game, the station is in the bright sunlight, and the subway tunnel experience takes a lot longer, and isn’t quite as intense.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 May 2025
-
And, George, Elon Musk told reporters this week it's been a very intense 100 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
However, the emotional side of living with the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be just as tough.—
Caitlin Carlson,
SELF,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Four times, he’s used it to strikeout hitters, with the horizontal break being tough to pick up.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Historically, Google has had a less intensive quality control processes than Apple which has meant more low-end apps make it through to the storefront.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
-
For now, these lands could be converted to intensive residential, commercial or industrial development.—
Reed Frederick Noss,
The Conversation,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share