adjective
- extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing: an excruciating noise; excruciating pain.
- exceedingly elaborate or intense; extreme: done with excruciating care.
adjective
- unbearably painful; agonizing
- intense; extremehe took excruciating pains to do it well
- informal irritating; trying
- jocular very badan excruciating pun
1590s, present participle adjective from excruciate. Related: Excruciatingly.