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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of excruciating
Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Bieber threw 12 shutout innings in his first two starts and struck out 20, but excruciating pain in both starts left him with no choice.
—Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
The 49ers’ season has been excruciating, taxing, frustrating, and, above all, disappointing.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024
In Ross’s vision, no less excruciating, the reception of violence—and violence itself—is made visually oblique.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excruciating 
Adjective
When the Carter Center began eradication efforts against Guinea worm disease in 1986, about 3.5 million people across 21 countries were afflicted with the excruciating condition.
—Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Bieber threw 12 shutout innings in his first two starts and struck out 20, but excruciating pain in both starts left him with no choice.
—Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
The 49ers’ season has been excruciating, taxing, frustrating, and, above all, disappointing.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024
In Ross’s vision, no less excruciating, the reception of violence—and violence itself—is made visually oblique.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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The Brutalist is a Fitzcarraldo fable of artistic endeavor, a universal immigrant tale and a searing indictment of capitalism Jones plays opposite Brody as Tóth’s wife, Erzsébet, in an indelible portrait of a woman physically broken by war who remains resolutely unbroken in spirit.Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
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The nearly three-hour podcast was a perfect storm of virality: comedy, conspiracy, and searing insult, leaving the internet in tatters.Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The camera stays close, capturing painful moments (Jaouad in the hospital), sweetness (exchanging wedding rings made of green twist ties), and most of all, Batiste's incredible passion.Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite the painful setback, Strowman powered through the match and emerged victorious, solidifying his reputation for resilience.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Chiefs tallied another three points from Butker as both defenses were noticeably intense and solid as the first quarter ended 6-3 Kansas City.Kevin Dotson, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025
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The single performs even better on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, which is compiled in the same way as the Rock Digital Song Sales list, only the focus is exclusively on the more intense, harder style of the genre.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Editor’s picks ‘Brutal beatings’ Cooper and hundreds of Dozier students accused school wardens of torturous abuse over minor infractions, like whippings, beatings, forced labor, and medical neglect.CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2024
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Minuscule, meticulous, torturous, and incomprehensible to most mortals.Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Harper's Magazine, 22 July 2024
Adjective
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Households are currently seeing significant reductions in their monthly electricity usage, resulting in cost savings—a big relief, especially in tough economic times.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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Reporting Highlights Child Care Gap: About 70% of rural Illinoisans live in a child care desert, forcing tough choices on parents: Some drive 100 miles a day or more to find care, others leave the workforce.ProPublica, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Soviet scientists at the time believed that strays, given that they were already accustomed to harsh conditions, would be better suited to the extreme environments of space.Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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Florida threatens to lead the nation in state killings now because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new law, the nation’s harshest, allowing as few as eight of 12 jurors to recommend execution instead of a unanimous verdict.Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Although Altman didn’t explicitly say why the company is losing money, running AI models is very cost intensive, requiring investments in data centers and electricity to provide the necessary computing power.Tharin Pillay, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
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At present, nitrogen fixation—the chemical process required to produce ammonia from nitrogen gas—is hugely energy intensive, accounting for as much as two percent of the world’s annual energy budget.Charina Chou, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near excruciating
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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