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Definition of excruciating

excruciating

/ɪkˈskruː.ʃi.eɪ.tɪŋ/
ex · cru · ci · at · ing
Adverb:excruciatingly
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excruciating Lexical Profile

excruciating Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Causing intense, acute, and almost unbearable physical or mental pain.

Example

"The patient arrived at the clinic complaining of an excruciating headache that had lasted for hours."

2

Extremely embarrassing, awkward, or tedious to endure.

Example

"We had to sit through an excruciating two-hour presentation filled with outdated statistics."

3

Elaborate, thorough, or meticulous to an extreme or exhausting degree.

Example

"The auditor examined the financial records in excruciating detail before approving the report."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

excrete
excretion
excretory
excruciating
excruciatingly
excursion
excusable

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 16th century from the Latin verb 'excruciare' ('to torment thoroughly'), formed from 'ex-' ('thoroughly') and 'cruciare' ('to crucify'), ultimately derived from 'crux' meaning 'cross'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Excruciating. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/excruciating
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