anguished

adjective

an·​guished ˈaŋ-gwisht 

1

: suffering anguish : tormented

the anguished martyrs

2

: expressing anguish : agonized

anguished cries

Synonyms of anguished

• weeping
• mournful
• heartbroken
• funeral
• grieving
• wailing
• bitter
• agonized

Examples of anguished in a Sentence

the military's explanation of the accident did nothing to console the anguished widow

Recent Examples on the Web

Ibrahim has one anguished question for me. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026

Okeadu slid to the ground with a thud, his head lolling strangely, with sharp, anguished sounds rising from his body. — ABC News, 30 June 2026

Some stations opened their call-in lines to anguished listeners. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026

What emerged was De Profundis (1905)—a long, anguished letter to his lover Bosie. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anguysched, from past participle of anguischen "to anguish entry 2"

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for anguished

• languished