excruciating

USAGE SUMMARY

'excruciating' is a perfectly acceptable word in written English.
It is used to describe something that is extremely painful or unpleasant. For example, "The excruciating headaches she had been suffering from for weeks finally subsided."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Bennett thanked Jones for her intervention but acknowledged that the interview had been "excruciating".

The Guardian

Filipe, courted by Barcelona in the summer but priced out of a move to the league champions by the Deportivo president Augusto César Lendoiro, gave the Galicians the lead in acrobatic style, but fell awkwardly and suffered a nasty twist to the ankle that left him in excruciating pain and will leave him sidelined for several months at least.

The Guardian - Sport

Whenever I flicked over throughout the night – which I did infrequently, and only through a sense of moribund duty – I was presented with the same sight; three men sitting around a table, grinding out the sort of excruciating small talk you make when your girlfriend goes to the toilet and you're left trapped in a room with her parents.

The Guardian

He is no stylist, and yet the raw power of his narrative trumps the sometimes excruciating clunk of his prose.

The Guardian - Books

And yet he was still existing between narratives in a way that, inevitably, became excruciating.

The Guardian

The irony was excruciating for the man who rose to be John Howard's chief of staff after a ministerial scandal claimed the scalp of his predecessor Graeme Morris.

The Guardian

She often went to A&E in excruciating pain and was told by some of the nurses that she was making the whole thing up.

The Guardian

It is after several excruciating minutes of this that mild-mannered, slight-framed Stevie stalks over and, with narrow-eyed menace, manages to 'persuade' the guilty parties to shut up and take her seriously.

The Guardian - Film

The first sitting-down meditation was excruciating.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

These include controversies over working conditions and environmental practices at some of its Asian suppliers; its long-running legal tussle with Samsung over smartphone patents; and the bungled launch in 2012 of its own mapping app to rival Google Maps.Chapters in "Haunted Empire" recount such episodes in excruciating detail, but they often ignore the bigger picture.

The Economist

In a 25-page document they describe, in excruciating detail, a "hurried sexual encounter" with the maid, which "was over in approximately seven to nine minutes".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "excruciating" to effectively convey a high degree of pain, suffering, or unpleasantness, ensuring your writing resonates with the reader by highlighting the intensity of the experience. Consider the context to determine if a less intense synonym may be more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "excruciating" to describe situations that are merely uncomfortable or mildly unpleasant. This can dilute the impact of the word and make your writing seem hyperbolic.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "excruciating" primarily functions to intensify the description of pain, suffering, or unpleasantness. Ludwig AI confirms its typical use to describe something causing great physical or mental anguish. The provided examples from Ludwig highlight its role in emphasizing the severity of experiences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "excruciating" is a powerful adjective used to describe experiences of intense pain, suffering, or difficulty. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and widely used, particularly in news and media contexts. While effective in conveying severity, it's important to avoid overuse in mild situations. Related phrases like "agonizing" and "torturous" offer alternative ways to express similar concepts, depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Using "excruciating" effectively can add depth and impact to your writing, enhancing the reader's understanding of the experience you are describing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

agonizing

Focuses on prolonged suffering, emphasizing a drawn-out experience of pain or distress.

torturous

Highlights the inflicted nature of the suffering, suggesting deliberate or extreme torment.

excruciation

Nominal form of "excruciating", referring to the state of extreme pain or torment.

extreme anguish

Highlights the mental and emotional distress associated with the suffering.

intense pain

Directly describes the physical sensation, emphasizing the high degree of discomfort.

harrowing

Implies a deeply disturbing or distressing experience that causes significant emotional trauma.

unbearable pain

Emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the pain, suggesting it exceeds one's capacity to endure.

acute suffering

Emphasizes the sharp, sudden onset of the pain or distress.

grievous

Indicates severe or serious nature of suffering, often used in more formal contexts.

severe discomfort

A milder term that conveys a significant level of physical or emotional distress.

FAQs

How to use "excruciating" in a sentence?

You can use "excruciating" to describe intense physical pain (e.g., "The surgery caused excruciating pain"), emotional suffering (e.g., "The breakup was an excruciating experience"), or extreme difficulty (e.g., "The task was excruciatingly difficult").

What can I say instead of "excruciating"?

You can use alternatives like "agonizing", "torturous", or "intense pain" depending on the context.

Is "excruciating" a formal word?

"Excruciating" is a fairly formal word, suitable for use in news articles, academic papers, and professional communication. In very informal contexts, you might prefer a simpler alternative like "really painful" or "terrible".

What's the difference between "excruciating" and "painful"?

"Painful" is a general term to describe something that causes discomfort. "Excruciating" implies a very high degree of pain, suffering, or difficulty, signifying something much more severe than simply "painful".