One of my favorite overused is "Ordeal."

"The passengers had to wait on the taxiway for six hours before being returned to the terminal at the end of their ordeal."

If you want to read about the real meaning of the word, try -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Jogues

about Father Issac Jogues' treatment at the hands of the Mohawks in 1642.
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Univ of Saigon 68