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
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
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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
Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
In late 2019, sudden, excruciating pain in my pelvis sent me to the emergency room.
—Katrina Martin, Health, 4 Mar. 2025
The finish is long on the palate with an excruciating persistence of coal and extinguished forest fire.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
For a while the shock and adrenaline take over and mask the pain but then in the ambulance ride every single bump in the road was excruciating ...
—Sam Blum, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Wolff recounts in excruciating detail Murdoch’s attempts to rekindle their old magic.
—Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
In late 2019, sudden, excruciating pain in my pelvis sent me to the emergency room.
—Katrina Martin, Health, 4 Mar. 2025
The finish is long on the palate with an excruciating persistence of coal and extinguished forest fire.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
For a while the shock and adrenaline take over and mask the pain but then in the ambulance ride every single bump in the road was excruciating ...
—Sam Blum, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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The main topic of conversation was how the duo turned a photo album featuring the banal daily activities of workers at Auschwitz-Birkenau into a searing play.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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Every actor’s Hamlet is theirs and theirs alone, and Olivier’s is big and hammy and searing and often quite devastating.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even the indoor scenes were painful because you’re locked inside that heat.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2025
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The recent swoon, while painful for current shareholders, has driven the headline yield up to 6% and has driven valuations down—NOG trades for 7 times earnings estimates and at a low price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.56 (anything below 1 is considered to be undervalued).—
Brett Owens,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Already, court challenges against the president’s latest moves are emerging, and intense mainstream media coverage has, of course, cast what he’s done in a highly negative light.—
The Editors,
National Review,
20 Mar. 2025
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An intense look at the world of competitive bodybuilding and remake of a Argentine thriller top our roundup of this week’s new films.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Their relocation will mark the end of a long, and often torturous, journey for the club that began almost 25 years ago.—
Tom Burrows,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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Now, five years after the declaration of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and three years past seeing how torturous a death the virus can bring, Shaver says the experience gave her a new perspective on life.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The opening weekend miss for what was a very buzzy Sundance title back in 2023 about a troubled but ambitious bodybuilder follows controversy around its star and comes at a tough time for indie films in general.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2025
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As long as Flagg is on the floor, the Blue Devils will be a tough out.—
Tobias Bass,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Designed for hiking and other outdoor adventures, these water-resistant pants are made with UPF 50 protection from harsh sun rays along with several spacious, handy pockets.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s election confirmed, to some on the Left, that the country really was as bad as some of their harshest rhetoric suggested.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Both regions came under heavy attack during intensive Israeli air strikes.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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After this close encounter with intensive factory farming, the narrator vows to go vegan.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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An audacious plan In the mid-1980s, global health agencies were otherwise occupied and heads of state largely overlooked the illness afflicting millions of their citizens.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
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The United States now suffers from twin pathologies—one afflicting the health of its citizens and the other the health of its political system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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