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excruciating

 - 5 dictionary results

ex⋅cru⋅ci⋅at⋅ing

  [ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting]
Use excruciating in a Sentence
–adjective
1. extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing: an excruciating noise; excruciating pain.
2. exceedingly elaborate or intense; extreme: done with excruciating care.
Origin:
1655–65; excruciate + -ing 2

Related forms:
ex⋅cru⋅ci⋅at⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. unbearable, insufferable, unendurable, agonizing, racking.

ex⋅cru⋅ci⋅ate

  [ik-skroo-shee-eyt]
–verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.
1. to inflict severe pain upon; torture: The headache excruciated him.
2. to cause mental anguish to; irritate greatly.
Origin:
1560–70; < L excruciātus, ptp. of excruciāre to torment, torture, equiv. to ex- ex- 1 + cruciāre to torment, crucify (deriv. of crux cross); see ate1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To excruciating
ex·cru·ci·ate   (ĭk-skrōō'shē-āt')   
tr.v.   ex·cru·ci·at·ed, ex·cru·ci·at·ing, ex·cru·ci·ates

  1. To inflict severe pain on; torture.

  2. To inflict great mental distress on.


[Latin excruciāre, excruciāt- : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + cruciāre, to crucify, torture (from crux, cruc-, cross).]
ex·cru'ci·a'tion n.
ex·cru·ci·at·ing   (ĭk-skrōō'shē-ā'tĭng)   
adj.  

  1. Intensely painful; agonizing.

  2. Very intense or extreme: wrote with excruciating precision.

ex·cru'ci·at'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

excruciate 
1570, from L. excruciatus, pp. of excruciare "to torture, torment," from ex- "out, thoroughly" + cruciare "cause pain or anguish to," lit. "crucify," from crux (gen. crucis) "cross."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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