Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To inflict severe pain on; torture.
- transitive verb To inflict great mental distress on.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To torture; torment; inflict very severe pain upon, as if by crucifying: as, to
excruciate the feelings.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Excruciated; tortured.
- transitive verb To inflict agonizing pain upon; to torture; to torment greatly; to rack.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive to
inflict intense pain ormental distress on (someone); totorture
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb torment emotionally or mentally
- verb subject to torture
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Fenway Park is our, to coin a word, excruciate -- something anyone who witnessed those extra-inning classics against the Yankees will instantly understand.
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Her presence used to excruciate Osborne; but go she would upon all parties of pleasure on which she heard her young friends were bent.
Vanity Fair 2006
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Even at this hour the swart Savoyard (_filius nullius_) issues forth on his diurnal pilgrimage, "remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow," to excruciate on his superannuated hurdy-gurdy that sublime melody, "the hundred and seventh psalm," or the plaintive sweetness of "Isabel," perhaps speculating on a breakfast for himself and Pug, somewhere between Knightsbridge and Old Brentford.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 536, March 3, 1832 Various
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"You didn't excruciate my wrist so like time!" groaned Bill.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 83, September, 1864 Various
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After it might have been an hour of this excruciate ecstasy the
Chivalry James Branch Cabell 1918
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After it might have been an hour of this excruciate ecstasy the Countess came to Rosamund's bed.
Chivalry James Branch Cabell 1918
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Her presence used to excruciate Osborne; but go she would upon all parties of pleasure on which she heard her young friends were bent.
XXIX. Brussels 1917
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The feeling of languor [566], which succeeds the animation of gaiety, is itself a very severe pain; and when the mind is then vacant, a thousand disappointments and vexations rush in and excruciate.
Life of Johnson Boswell, James, 1740-1795 1887
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Nay, that is a cruel religion, which would excruciate hereafter those who enjoy now.
Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida Selected from the Works of Ouida 1839-1908 Ouida 1873
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'Ignorance, density, total imbecility, is better; I would rather any day of my life sit and carve for guests -- the grossest of human trials -- a detestable dinner, than be doomed to hear some wretched fellow -- and you hear the old as well as the young -- excruciate feelings which, where they exist, cannot but be exquisitely delicate.
Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith George Meredith 1868
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