Excruciating Meaning
/ɪkˈskɹuːʃiːeɪtɪŋ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjCausing great pain or anguish, agonizing
adjExceedingly intense; extreme
Sentence Examples
Tom has been in excruciating pain.
Listening to the orator's incoherent ramblings was excruciating.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The headache was so ____ that she could barely open her eyes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Waiting for the search and rescue team in the freezing cold was an ____ experience.
Word Origin & History
Present participle of excruciate, from Latin excruciō, from ex- + cruciō (“to torment”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Sagan faced an excruciating dilemma: Should he remain true to his naturalistic philosophy and reject the marrow graft as something acquired by immoral means? Or should he agree to undergo the medical treatment in hope of saving his life"
— 2011, Charles Colson, Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live?:
"When he at last opened his eyes, he was conscious of nothing but an excruciating pain through his temples. He was vaguely aware of unfamiliar surroundings."
— 1922, Agatha Christie, “Chapter 16”, in The Secret Adversary:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The headache was so ____ that she could barely open her eyes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Waiting for the search and rescue team in the freezing cold was an ____ experience.