agonizing

adjective

ag·​o·​niz·​ing ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ How to pronounce agonizing (audio)
: causing agony
agonizingly adverb

Examples of agonizing in a Sentence

a long and agonizing battle with cancer She made the agonizing decision to cancel the trip. The agonizing wait was finally over. He was in agonizing pain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To see Gauff and Shelton live through the rollercoaster was agonizing and uplifting at the same time. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Kotevska turns her camera on agonizing scenes of Nikola and his family all but abandoning their potatoes, along with watermelon and other crops, and leaving them to rot because selling them makes no sense. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025 But having to tell someone that out loud was agonizing. Autumn Barnes, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025 Ahn was offered the chance to cross the border but made the agonizing decision to stay. Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for agonizing

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of agonize

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agonizing was in 1570

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonizing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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