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

1. Torment emotionally or mentally
   "The constant criticism racked her";
   - torment, torture, excruciate [archaic], wrack
    
2. Stretch to the limits
   "rack one's brains"
    
3. Place in a rack
   "rack pool balls";
   - rack up
    
4. Put on a rack and pinion
   "rack a camera"
    
5. Work on a rack
   "rack leather"
    
6. Seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block
   "The sailor racked the lines to secure the sail"
    
7. Run before a gale
   "Clouds racked across the sky";
   - scud
    
8. Fly in high wind
   "The seagulls racked against the storm"
    
9. Draw off from the lees
   "rack wine"
    
10. Go at a rack
    "the horses racked";
    - single-foot
     
11. [archaic] Obtain by coercion or intimidation
    "The gangsters racked protection money from local businesses";
    - extort, squeeze, gouge [informal], wring
     
12. [archaic] Torture on the rack
    "Prisoners were racked during medieval times"

See also: painful

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

Encyclopedia: Racking