WordWeb Online

1. Causing great physical or mental suffering
   "a racking pain";
   - wrenching

1. Torment emotionally or mentally
   - torment, torture, excruciate, wrack
    
2. Stretch to the limits
   "rack one's brains"
    
3. Put on a rack and pinion
   "rack a camera"
    
4. Run before a gale
   - scud
    
5. Fly in high wind
    
6. Draw off from the lees
   "rack wine"
    
7. Work on a rack
   "rack leather"
    
8. Seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block
    
9. Place in a rack
   "rack pool balls";
   - rack up
    
10. Go at a rack
    "the horses racked";
    - single-foot
     
11. [archaic] Obtain by coercion or intimidation
    "They racked money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss";
    - extort, squeeze, gouge [informal], wring
     
12. [archaic] Torture on the rack

See also: painful

Type of: anguish, clutch, draw, excruciate, fleece [informal], fly, gazump [Brit, informal], hook [informal], hurt, lay, overcharge, pace, pain, place, pluck [informal], pose, position, prehend [archaic], process, put, put to work, rob, sail, seize, set, skin [informal], soak [informal], strain, stress, surcharge, take out, torment, torture, try, wing, work, work on

Encyclopedia: Racking