racking — causing severe physical or mental pain; extremely distressing
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: causing severe physical or mental pain; extremely distressing
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈrækɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- After the marathon, he experienced racking muscle pain that made him walk like a robot.
- The racking guilt over eating the last piece of cake kept her awake all night.
- His racking cough echoed through the library, making everyone glare at him.
racking
ADJECTIVE[/ˈrækɪŋ/]
causing severe physical or mental pain; extremely distressing
Experiencing racking mental pain
Racking pain while packing, so much lacking!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Middle Dutch 'rec', meaning frame or shelf, which evolved to denote a torture device called a 'rack'. Subsequently, it developed the figurative meaning of causing extreme pain or suffering.
Breakdown
rec (frame, shelf) → rack (torture device) → -ing (present participle suffix indicating the action of causing pain or torment)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After the marathon, he experienced racking muscle pain that made him walk like a robot.”
“The racking guilt over eating the last piece of cake kept her awake all night.”
“His racking cough echoed through the library, making everyone glare at him.”
“The student's brain was racking with stress before the final exam.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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