English vocabulary · C1
Excruciating
/ɪkˈskruːʃieɪtɪŋ/ · adj.
Excruciating means extremely painful or hard to bear. It can describe pain, a long wait, or a very hard feeling.
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Example sentences
- The toothache was excruciating.
- The long wait was excruciating.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- ex — out (from Latin)
- cruci — cross (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- PAINFUL — very strong pain (Hurts A Lot)
- UNBEARABLE — too hard to bear (Too Much)
- INTENSE — strong in a hard way (Very Strong)
Words with the same root
cruci — cross
- crucial — very important
- crucify — kill on a cross
- crucifix — a cross with Jesus
Lesson notes
Excruciating means extremely painful or hard to bear. It can describe pain, a long wait, or a very hard feeling.
Related: painful, unbearable, intense. Use excruciating when pain or waiting feels almost impossible to bear.
The toothache was excruciating. The long wait was excruciating.
From Latin. Ex means out. Cruci means cross. Pain that feels like it pulls you out of yourself is excruciating.