excruciating
Intensely, overwhelmingly painful
Excruciating describes pain so intense it feels unbearable—the word comes from crucifixion, suggesting agony worthy of the cross.
Physical pain is excruciating: an excruciating migraine, excruciating back spasms.
The word extends to emotional torment or extreme discomfort: the excruciating wait for test results, an excruciating silence.
Sometimes used hyperbolically for anything tedious or awkward: The movie was excruciatingly boring.
Impossible to bear
- insufferableImpossible to put up with
- unendurableImpossible to bear
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- debilitatingCausing severe impairment
crushing · relentless · merciless · inescapable · all-consuming · immobilizing · oppressive · punishing
Intense mental suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- heartbreakCrushing emotional pain
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- despairTotal absence of hope
devastation · harrowing · heartrending · wrenching · gut-wrenching · traumatic · sorrowful · distressing
Rhythmic painful pulsing
- stabbingWounding with a blade
- lancinatingSharply cutting through
- searingBrowning with intense heat
- piercingPenetrating or very sharp
burning · cramping · gnawing · nagging · pang · twinge · smarting · ache
Without apparent conclusion
- tediousBoring through length
- drawn-outExtended beyond normal duration
- prolongedMade to last longer
- endlessWithout termination or boundary
plodding · glacial · crawling · dragging · ponderous · protracted · labored · monotonous
Extremely careful and thorough
- meticulousShowing extreme attention to detail
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- exhaustiveCovering all possibilities
- minuteSixtieth of an hour
fine-grained · precise · scrupulous · comprehensive · elaborate · intricate · exacting · fastidious
intolerable
Impossible to bear
- insufferableImpossible to put up with
- unendurableImpossible to bear
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
debilitating · crushing · relentless · merciless · inescapable · all-consuming · immobilizing · oppressive · punishing · grueling
anguish
Intense mental suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- heartbreakCrushing emotional pain
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
despair · devastation · harrowing · heartrending · wrenching · gut-wrenching · traumatic · sorrowful · distressing · painful
throbbing
Rhythmic painful pulsing
- stabbingWounding with a blade
- lancinatingSharply cutting through
- searingBrowning with intense heat
piercing · burning · cramping · gnawing · nagging · pang · twinge · smarting · ache · soreness
interminable
Without apparent conclusion
endless · plodding · glacial · crawling · dragging · ponderous · protracted · labored · monotonous · boring
painstaking
Extremely careful and thorough
- meticulousShowing extreme attention to detail
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- exhaustiveCovering all possibilities
minute · fine-grained · precise · scrupulous · comprehensive · elaborate · intricate · exacting · fastidious · perfectionist
- painache, pain, agony, hurt, hurting
- sensationstaste, touch, smell, sound, pain
- overwhelmedstressed, overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, burned out
- infernalhellish, demonic, diabolical, satanic, devilish
excruciatingpleasurable
Causing positive feelings
blissful · ecstatic · pleasant · soothing · comfortable
excruciatingbearable
Able to be endured
tolerable · endurable · survivable · manageable · easy