Excruciation

/ɪkˌskruːʃiˈeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

Extreme torture, torment, or intense suffering; the act of subjecting someone to such pain.

Etymology

From Latin excruciatio, derived from excruciare, referring to the act or state of being tortured, used both for the action and the resulting agony.

Kelly Says

Medieval and Renaissance writers loved this word—to them, excruciation wasn't just pain but a detailed, systematic infliction of suffering, which they wrote about extensively.

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