excruciating

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.

verb (used with object), ex·cru·ci·at·ed, ex·cru·ci·at·ing.

1. to inflict severe pain upon; torture: The headache excruciated him.
2. to cause mental anguish to; irritate greatly.

adjective

1. unbearably painful; agonizing
2. intense; extremehe took excruciating pains to do it well
3. informal irritating; trying
4. jocular very badan excruciating pun

verb (tr)

1. to inflict mental suffering on; torment
2. obsolete to inflict physical pain on; torture

adj.

1590s, present participle adjective from excruciate. Related: Excruciatingly.

v.

1560s, from Latin excruciatus, past participle of excruciare “to torture, torment, rack, plague;” figuratively “to afflict, harass, vex, torment,” from ex- “out, thoroughly” (see ex-) + cruciare “cause pain or anguish to,” literally “crucify,” from crux (genitive crucis) “cross.”