To subject to extreme pain or suffering; to torment intensely.
From Latin excruciare (ex- 'thoroughly' + cruciare 'to torture'), originally referring to physical torture but evolving to mean any intense mental or physical agony.
When someone says 'this waiting is excruciating,' they're using a word that literally meant being tortured to describe emotional pain—showing how powerful emotions can feel as real as physical torture.
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