Synonyms and related words :
acute, afflictive, atrocious, biting, consuming, cramping, cruel, desolating, distressful, distressing, excruciating, exquisite, fierce, gnawing, grave, griping, hard, harrowing, harsh, heartbreaking, heartrending, heartsickening, heartwounding, hurtful, hurting, intense, painful, paroxysmal, piercing, poignant, pungent, racking, rending, severe, sharp, shooting, spasmatic, spasmic, spasmodic, stabbing, stinging, tearing, tormented, tormenting, tortured, torturing, torturous, vehement, violent