excruciating
adjective
ex·cru·ci·at·ing
ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌā-tiŋ 
1
: causing great pain or anguish : agonizing
the nation's most excruciating dilemma—
W. H. Ferry
W. H. Ferry2
: very intense : extreme
excruciating pain
Synonyms
Examples of excruciating in a Sentence
I have an excruciating headache.
an excruciating moment of embarrassment
They described their vacation in excruciating detail.
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s what happened to Carol Rosen, a 70-year-old retired schoolteacher whose final weeks were wracked with excruciating pain.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
For doctors and patients inside Gaza, the implications are excruciating.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
Wendy Thompson had a handful of problems, beginning with the fact that walking had become excruciating.
—Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024
Going to court against your own parent can be excruciating.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The Animal Planet star had long suffered from excruciating fatigue, pain and nausea, seeing doctors and undergoing countless tests and scans in search of answers.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024
Gun violence at home and excruciating wars abroad seem impossibly intractable.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The season was largely overshadowed by similar ugly behind-the-scenes drama , including host Chris Harrison's excruciating Extra interview and ultimate departure.
—Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
At Smith’s trial, jurors were shown excruciating footage of Smith torturing Henry.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
For doctors and patients inside Gaza, the implications are excruciating.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
Wendy Thompson had a handful of problems, beginning with the fact that walking had become excruciating.
—Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024
Going to court against your own parent can be excruciating.
—Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The Animal Planet star had long suffered from excruciating fatigue, pain and nausea, seeing doctors and undergoing countless tests and scans in search of answers.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024
Gun violence at home and excruciating wars abroad seem impossibly intractable.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The season was largely overshadowed by similar ugly behind-the-scenes drama , including host Chris Harrison's excruciating Extra interview and ultimate departure.
—Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
At Smith’s trial, jurors were shown excruciating footage of Smith torturing Henry.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excruciating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near excruciating
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excruciating. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share