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
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The match became an excruciating display of self-flagellation.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
What could possibly motivate anyone to choose again and again to endure such excruciating pain?
—Tim Genske, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
But the end games were excruciating losses, usually in the national semifinals, once in the final, and once — just once — in the Sweet 16.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
This, along with the excruciating challenges of being in the wild, meant Mandy’s journey would test every ounce of her strength and resilience.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
The match became an excruciating display of self-flagellation.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
What could possibly motivate anyone to choose again and again to endure such excruciating pain?
—Tim Genske, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
But the end games were excruciating losses, usually in the national semifinals, once in the final, and once — just once — in the Sweet 16.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
-
Stir-frying is a method of quickly searing and cooking bite-size pieces of protein and vegetables in a splash of oil over high heat.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Theron’s performance as the one-armed warrior Furiosa is one for the ages—stoic, searing and unbearably emotional beneath the surface.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
However, Trump has described his policies as a painful yet necessary step to encourage companies to relocate their operations to the United States.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The overstressed tissue, either along your arch or right next to your heel, can then sustain tiny tears and become irritated, inflamed, and painful.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The process has ignited intense public pushback from Luna to not only leadership, but her one-time allies in the Freedom Caucus.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Ricky Steamboat From Clash Of The Champions 6 The intense rivalry between Ricky Steamboat and Flair produced some of the most celebrated matches in professional wrestling history.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Pair this struggle with the painstaking awareness that sleep is essential for your daily functioning, and sleep deprivation can quickly become maddening — or even torturous.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
But the stubborn Pharaoh continued his torturous ways.—
Holly Rizzuto Palker,
Parents,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But the Lotus ladies will have some tough competition, including seven-time winner Allison Janney, two-time winner Patricia Arquette, and potential double nominee Kaitlyn Dever.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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What tough lessons does Cole learn through the process of getting involved with a patient this season?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Donald Trump defended his harsh new tariffs on Saturday Night Live this week — and maybe took a swipe at last week’s musical guest, too.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Never one for details, Trump is now clearly linking the harsh 54% tariffs imposed on China on Tuesday to a TikTok deal.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This alarming probability briefly landed the asteroid atop impact risk lists maintained by NASA and the European Space Agency, triggering planetary defense discussions and prompting intensive follow-up observations to refine the object's trajectory.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Number Purchased by Readers: 123 Crest 3D Whitestrips Teeth Whitening Kit What to Know: The Crest 3D whitening kit has 44 strips and two more intensive one-hour treatments.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
29 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 13 Apr. 2025.
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