1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
died an agonizing death
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in suffering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonizing
Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Breen called the 1994 NBA Finals on New York radio when the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in an agonizing seven games.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Since then, Arsenal has flirted with a series of agonizing near misses, most notably pipped at the post by Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Adjective
Moments later, as his father was wrapped in a silver and gold emergency thermal blanket before being placed on a stretcher, Oun wiped away a flood of tears – a release of more than a week’s worth of agonizing suspense.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Breen called the 1994 NBA Finals on New York radio when the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in an agonizing seven games.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
My agonizing over a coin toss illustrates the basic distortion that gambling exerts on spectating.
—Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
The parents who keep looking for him, agonizing over his health.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Since then, Arsenal has flirted with a series of agonizing near misses, most notably pipped at the post by Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
The core characters Each character came into their own during the series, sometimes in emotionally painful ways.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
Hidden inside those numbers is a long and painful history.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And without significant sanctions relief that alleviates the suffering of ordinary Iranians and sets the country on a clear path to economic recovery, difficult questions could again arise about the regime’s longstanding policy of defiance against the US.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
Service, intentionally or not, leaves a wide, wild path for a person to project onto the journey, the setting, the suffering of discomforts, the upholding of promise, their close relationship.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Turnout was higher than expected for a primary election, and a significant portion of ballots arrived after Election Day, likely due to indecision over the governor’s race.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
But with all the indecision of this primary election, many were finding comfort in delivering their votes in person.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Overall, the vibes at SGF 2026 were markedly up compared to those from last year and 2024, when layoffs plaguing the industry and multiple game cancellations and releases were the main topics of conversation.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Mass tourism, rising sea levels, and scorching temperatures have been plaguing the unique Italian city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Emotional footage from the funeral was featured in the Netflix documentary, showing Homer grieving his wife.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
Our sincere hope is that all who are grieving will feel God’s presence and comfort.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ahead of the holiday, the City of Rancho Cordova is cracking down with much harsher penalties.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Members of his party who want even harsher border controls have splintered off to form Restore Britain, which has gained support from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is vociferously backing it on his X platform.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
International human rights leaders have condemned nitrogen hypoxia as experimental, violent and potentially torturous.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The execution method, which involves strapping a respirator onto the inmate's face and replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death by lack of oxygen, has been criticized by opponents as inhumane and torturous.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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