Standard Lemma guide

excruciate

adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪkˈskɹuːʃi.eɪt/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ɪkˈskɹʉwʃɪjɛjt/
  • General-American: /ɪkˈskɹuʃi.eɪt/
  • General-American: /ək-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /əkˈskɹʉːʃi.æɪt/
  • Scotland: /ɪkˈskɾʉʃi.et/
  • Wales: /ɪkˈskɾɪʊʃi.eːt/ without the pane–pain merger

1

adj

Meaning 1

Excruciated; tortured.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Examples

  • 1616, George Chapman's translation of Homer's Odyssey And here my heart long time excruciate Amongst the leaves I rested all that night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: torment, torture, ache, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, dere, excruciate, hurt, irritate, pang, pine, rack, throe, wring

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

subject to torture

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: torture, torment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: injure, wound

Narrower terms: rack, martyr, martyrize, martyrise

4

verb

Meaning 4

torment emotionally or mentally

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: torment, torture, rack

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pain, anguish, hurt

History

Etymology

From Latin excruciātus, past participle of excruciō, from ex- + cruciō, from the base of crux (“cross”).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: əzab vermək — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Bulgarian: измъчвам (izmǎčvam) — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Bulgarian: тормозя (tormozja) — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Dutch: folteren — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • French: torturer — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • German: quälen — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Russian: му́чить (múčitʹ) — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Russian: терза́ть (terzátʹ) — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Russian: истяза́ть (istjazátʹ) — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Spanish: torturar — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Spanish: lacerar — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture
  • Swedish: pina — to inflict intense pain or mental distress on (someone); to torture